Krait book 15b but to be read first Shakeups in Scotland
by slytherinsal
Summary: David Fraser is instituting new changes to Hogwarts in his capacity of Headmaster, including a school stable for playing Quiddpolo, and bringing in new staff to increase efficiency. No longer as new a headmaster as he was, David still faces challenges from the behaviour of one the seniors in Ravenclaw. The good news is that Bella has a tiger and she knows what to do with him.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"How were ye planning on managing the incrrreased intake the noo since the numbers are picking up after the Voldemort years, Headmaster?" asked Minerva McGonagall in the sort of tone of voice that had David Fraser feeling as though his old house head was asking him how he intended putting right some mischief he had been in the middle of "As weel as the general increase, there's the wealthy goblin families and Lucius paying for several scholarships for those who'd no' manage the fees ordinarily. There's fifty four due to start this year, ye ken."

David considered. It was the first day of the Holidays and he and the rest of the staff were just tidying up before the long summer break; and he had not yet looked at the Book of next year's pupils; perhaps remiss of him, but it had been his first year and had not been entirely uneventful.

"How was it done before?" he asked "Before the Voldemort years eroded numbers?"

"The classes were aye split by house" said Minerva.

"I can see that being a problem with the greater inter-house co-operation we have these days" said David. "Personally" he added "I think it's better to stream by ability; regardless of house. It OUGHT to work out that mainly Ravenclaws and Slytherin are in the top stream; but there's plenty of clever Gryffindors, and plenty of dim Slythers; and the odd Hufflepuff could make an upper stream by sheer hard work, like the Moorcrofts would have, and Albert MacMillan."

"Streaming in general or by subject?" asked Minerva, her tacit approval of the idea showing in asking more about details. David was glad; Minerva's good opinion meant a lot to him.

"I'd LIKE to stream by subject" he said "Though timetabling is going to be tough. I really think, Minerva, that the time may have come to expand deliberately and double up on teachers for the first two years at least while the kids do their taster classes, before they pick electives; because I am loath to drop the idea of taster classes. Picking electives in my day when you were not that sure what was involved in the classes was a bit hit and miss; you could end disappointed or finding yourself struggling with a subject that was harder than you realised. Padfoot had a huge dropout from those in the first voluntary Geomancy classes because of the amount of Arithmancy involved. And then when the electives are chosen, the classes diminish significantly in size anyway, solving the problem and giving decent sized classes for even the less popular electives; it's ridiculous that Septima had often enough no more than half a dozen students taking Arithmancy to OWL. Divination is different; I'm not averse to Rosemary having only the few with real rare talent, though to OWL I fear she'll still end up with those who think it a soft option until we can get the exam tightened up a bit."

"Electives or no, for the OWL the five core subjects will still hae fu' class sizes" said Minerva.

"Hmm, yes, there is that" said David "Then perhaps the second stream can go through to OWL in the core subjects; and we'll just have to have the tasters in large classes, which is NOT good for practical classes like Metalwork – I'm an idiot. We already do half a term Divination and half a term Metalwork; we could have half the class doing each and swap at Halloween. And that COULD be split by house as a temporary measure."

"Aye, I concur; it would mak' the numbers a mickle mair manageable" said Minerva.

"And there's no reason" said David, excited, "That it shouldn't be done the same with other classes – History of Magic with Arithmancy for example; I never yet met an arithmancer who liked History except Jade Snape, and she's a law unto herself and only reads history for pleasure, never studied it. And I believe we'll make either Care of Domestic Beasts OR Care of Beasts OR Herbology compulsory and team them together; if anyone wants to take both Herbology and Care of one kind of beasts or other we can negotiate that, Hagrid's flexible enough and so is Pomona, and Wilhelmina Grubbly-Planck is obliging enough. Severus is of the opinion that Herbology is a better core subject, though as a potioneer he IS biased; more skill needed for a potioneer to deal with plants, because generally all the animals he deals with are dead and don't exactly need much care in the way it's taught."

"Could we do the same thing with other elective subjects?" asked Minerva "Say Comparative magic with Astronomy?"

"Yes, that would work; Geomancy with Enchanting, Ancient Runes with Muggle Studies – they used as I recall to run at the same time as electives, with Hermione Granger haring around like a mad thing to fit in too many subjects with her time turner. That leaves chanting as a full class; but that doesn't actually matter. It's a very communal practical and the first couple of years are about voice control and rhythm anyhow so quite controllable. Tony had a huge voluntary class when it first started anyhow so it's nothing new for him. And the other four core subjects are taught by senior professors who I doubt would have any discipline problems anyway – because really they all need to be taught together in order to be able to stream them, at least for the first term."

"Weel, ye repose a grreat deal o' confidence in Filius, Remus, Connie and mesel', David; and I'm sure we'll a' try not tae let ye doon."

"Oh but of course I have every confidence in you all" said David in surprise "Not one of you has discipline problems; and that is what dealing with classes of fifty or more is about. Perce Dweemer would hate it and the little beasts would rag him."

"Aye, weel, he's a nice creature forebye and no' verra stern at a'" said Minerva with a touch of complaisance over the thought that none of her pupils would ever dare to even TRY to rag HER.

"Right, that's settled; thanks for helping me sort that out by bringing it up" said David. "And I'll see about getting in four subsidiary teachers for the second streams. They'd be on a lower pay scale of course; since the senior staff will still be teaching to NEWT. I suppose – so long as it doesn't muck up our kids too much – that it would be a good opportunity for those wanting to go into the ministry; to NOT have to teach to high level, and too, not have to introduce a subject. With the good grounding at first of my senior teachers they couldn't really make too much of a mess of it; and it's not like we didn't have a change of teacher every year when the DADA position was under curse. Or seventeen days in the case of that Umbridge woman."

"Weel, it's a possibility" said Minerva cautiously. "And syne they turn oot tae be gormless ye can aye send them packing so they cannae then louse up the ministry. I mean, louse it up ony the worse."

"That WOULD take some doing, mind you" laughed David. Minerva gave an austere smile.

"Ye ken, David, I've been feeling ma age recently; and I'd no' mind if you gave me the training of a possible replacement for a few years time serving meantime as junior transfiguration professor; which thought sprang tae mind, as a means o' training a new senior to Hogwarts ways" she said. "And had it not been for wanting tae help ye through a new post I might hae retired with Albus; and I DO want to see Lilith through school" she added.

"Why Minerva! How thoughtful of you!" said David. "And of course I should never dream of engaging any junior teacher without the approval of the senior for that post, you know!"

"That's verra ceevil of ye David. Forbye, ye should write tae the Mineestry; and tak' interviews in the holidays. And they could maybe be classroom assistants with the first years at first tak'in oot the slow yins tae bring them on should ye wish."

"Well if you'd find that helpful I'd certainly be ready to give it a go, perhaps with a classroom next to each of the main classrooms for a little separate tuition but close by for that first term" said David. "Connie has been making noises about retirement for a number of years now as well; which might be just her way of letting off steam, but I have to consider that she might be serious. And who'd be head of Slytherin if she left I've no idea; Sirius would obviously be head of Gryffindor in your shoes but more than half the staff are ex Gryffs!"

"Weel, ye never know who may come as juniors" said Minerva, philosophically "Though for replacement staff I'm thinking ye shouldnae be considering the types that would want tae be in the mineestry."

"Too true" said David "I'm considering the concept of stealing Rom Snape for Potions and Senagra Konal-Snape from the free school for Transfigurations as a first thought."

"Weel that would do verra weel" said Minerva "And in young Romulus a replacement Slytherin."

"As young Stuart would say, Bonza!" said David "My father's name was Stuart" he added. "I'd have to help Neville get replacements; I could recommend Jardak gan Torlo who's from the neighbourhood of the free school and will be respected; and he could perhaps teach History and Comparative Magic as voluntary subjects on the side; and he's marrying Jazka who has metalwork to NEWT, another class for them."

"And better to teach in a school they've not just left too" said Minerva.

"I'll chat to Neville; he was worrying about how to juggle wives wanting to teach, whose best subjects clash…. I'm a fool, Minerva. Better to leave Rom and Senagra in place and steal Hawke and Lynx, which means Neville no longer has such a superfluity of Professors Malfoy. Hawke's such a good all rounder there's no reason HE shouldn't be junior Potions Professor; and he's Slytherin. It's just that Rom was so firmly a Snape in his potioneering after he got adopted. And Lynx could be junior Transfigurations Professor; Abraxus could take over his twin's charms class and Senagra his transfigurations in the free school. Sorted; the New Marauders and Prowling Marauders are wildly talented all round."

"Wee hellions they a' were" said Minerva fondly. "It would certainly erode the high proportion of Gryffindors; for Lynx is a Slytherin a'so."

oOoOo

David contacted Neville and the New Marauders right away; and found Neville glad too to have Jardak and Jazka recommended to expand his curriculum. Jardak could teach history with comparative magic as an optional class, and Jazka could take metalwork – an important subject in an industrial area like the Umbrous Alley complex – and chanting as an optional subject, being the first qualified chanter, even though all the others had taken it up. Francis Davenport, who was a fairly skilled diviner, had volunteered a voluntary class in divination for the few talented; and to OWL at least the free school did not lag behind.

The girl Jocelyne who had been a possible contender for Hogwarts along with Storm and Zephyra, which pair had transferred in their OWL year, had elected, Neville said dryly, to stay on at the Free School to take NEWTS; as she was the only likely contender for the Triwizard next year, that she was hoping that he would enter the school into. Neville could have wished she was less personally ambitious and was more interested in doing it to make her school look good rather than because she was a big fish in a small pool; but that was life. She WAS part goblin and it DID highlight that she would be good enough to make a fair showing.

Hawke and Lynx were delighted to be asked to be junior professors; and though they would miss their fellow marauders, there were other marauders in Hogwarts.

oOoOo

They were not the only new members of staff; Arkott, a goblin, was the new head groom for the new quidpolo stables. Lucius had put David in touch with Madam Laurentia Fletwock ("NOT Flitwick" as she said firmly), who bred flying horses; and though she had disparaged brooms, wanting to see more people ride horses, David got on well with her and found her a no-nonsense, practical woman who was delighted to see more young people being exposed to riding through the new policy of Hogwarts to encourage quidpolo. She promptly had her nephew put his children down for Hogwarts. David strongly suspected that she was having a relationship with her head groom, Arkott's father, a widower, since they acted like an old married couple – she removed a piece of straw adhering to Rankott, her groom, when they visited David's stables to see whether she approved of letting her horses go to Hogwarts – and she murmured something about half breeds not being likely to be in for a hard time now. She was no longer young; but witches were fertile for longer than muggles so David strongly suspected there would be some half siblings for Arkott soon. It was a shame, since Arkott was a year or two older than David, that he had been too old to take advantage of the changing policy towards goblins at Hogwarts; but David had told him that it he cared to study on his own time to take at least a DOE he could then carry a wand on the continent if there were ever international matches. Arkott was considering that VERY deeply.

oOoOo

"You know, Alastor" said Severus, having dropped in on the Moodys in Orme Court "It's absolutely daft for you and Abigail and your kids to be in a rather exclusive little blood group that Abigail started to cure your leg with; and though there are more than four of you now you have enough children it's not what I'd expect of old 'Constant Vigilance'.

Alastor sniffed.

"Well I wasn't given any choice in the matter when she sapped me and cut her own leg off to grow to mine and negate the curse with blood magic; and then the fact that she loved me was enough to make the risk worth it. I'd have suggested not having children too, only I appear to be a little henpecked; YOU ought to know about that, Severus" he growled.

Severus laughed.

"Just a little" he agreed "And I guess neither of us nor Lucius would have it any other way. Well, Salazar chose to join the main blood group; Lilith always hoped he might because he IS like a brother to her."

"Yes; and as a supporter not a marauder. Which in some ways takes more balls" said Alastor, trying not to sound proud.

"Indeed" agreed Severus. "Well, will you? Join with the rest of us, you, Abigail, Rose and the babes? I often wondered why you never suggested it yourself."

"I didn't think you'd want me, Severus" said Alastor "I did push you rather hard; as that snippy and loyal little wife of yours reminded me at the time. And then proceeded to hide random knickers and underpants around your office for me to find. I had to question everything and everyone; Albus likes to look for good in everyone. And I knew what very few people did; that he had made an error of judgement before over Gellert Grindelwald."

"You knew about that? Then you've been a true friend keeping it quiet" said Severus. "Albus learned a lot from that error; we all make errors and if we survive to walk away from them we usually learn from them. I learned truly what Voldemort was when he was ready to kill Lily and literally could NOT understand why that made me balk. And I learned to love Albus as a father; and yes, he's flawed, as we all are. But he's nobody's fool about READING people any more; just not always so great at giving them credit for the strength of mind he had to learn. He could have made Harry's task a lot easier by beating me over the head with how like me the boy is, and made me share my unhappy experiences with James to show him what NOT to do – not that he ever did, despite my silly beliefs – and got us talking from the word go. And he could have told Harry more earlier. But he was NEVER wrong about who to trust. Of course, I suppose in retrospect it's easier to say. And I haven't approached you because I've been a little nervous of my reception as you don't like me; which doesn't matter if we work for the same goal. And I'm deucedly fond of Salazar and I know he'd like his parents and siblings to be a part of it all, as he IS the only one who's related to all your kids."

"Don't mistake a one time distrust with dislike, Severus" said Alastor "I don't really know you well enough to like OR dislike you; you're too reserved to easily get to know. Personally I think it's a sensible thing to spread the risk; and I'd be more than willing to be in – especially as it means I can keep better tabs on my two maddest Aurors."

"And some of your new trainees" said Severus dryly "Gorbrin and Meliandra. Not Jordan nor Mardo though; they never were quite right somehow."

"What, and I am?"

"You're one of the staunchest fighters against evil and campaigners for justice that I know" said Severus simply.

"Then I agree; so long as Abigail does" said Alastor "What of the children?"

"We've brought in children before; and it won't be a shock to the youngest three who can already feel each other and you and Abigail. Rose should perhaps be given the choice; but I suspect when she knows Salazar and Lilith are both part of it she'll be in."

"I don't say you're wrong at that" said Alastor, his face softening at the thought of his adopted daughter. Rose was no relation of either him or his wife, but was the half sister of Abigail's son Salazar. "When?"

"Bring everyone over just before tea; we'll do the blooding and then eat to recover from it" said Severus. "You'll be surprised just how many and who comprise it now; and we needed every last one to free the elves from the self punishing compulsion in Europe I can tell you."

"Well, if we come, Abigail agrees; if we don't she didn't" said Alastor.

Severus nodded; brusque was just Alastor's way.

oOoOo

Salazar came with his parents, with Rose by the hand, Horace and Alastor junior dancing along and Imogen holding tight to her mother's hand. At three and a half she was the baby of the family.

Baby or not, Imogen was well primed and only cried a little bit when Abigail used the cutting spell to open her palm for them all to join; Severus had assembled a random selection of people, mostly those who lived in Orme Court and their closest friends, which was, as Alastor murmured, rather a surfeit of Malfoys.

The look of wonder on his face as he assimilated just how many people he was joined to showed that this was enough to dissipate any snippy thoughts.

"Lucius too?" he marvelled "TIGERS?"

"Nothing wrong with tigers" said Krait prosaically "Bella's planning on marrying one and half the marauders in Hogwarts – well a significant minority – are tigers. It's sort of a purry growly counterpoint to those of us who are snakes; they seem to congregate in Gryffindor for some reason, save the odd couple who are Huffers."

"Hmmph" said Alastor.

"Professor Khan says 'Hrrrr' in the same tone of voice as that, dad, and it means the same thing" said Salazar "'Hrrrr' is a very useful word; it can mean almost anything you want it to without actually committing to an opinion while you think."

"Well, it's a very wide group" said Alastor "And I see why you look so damned sleek these days Severus; you don't have to ask if anyone loves you, I can feel how many people do. So many possibilities! And don't you two go trying to put one over on me and presume on a blood bond" he added to Harry and Draco, who both laughed and slapped him on the back.

"Was it going to be time to eat soon?" asked Salazar hopefully.

"Right now" said Severus.

Krait guided Abigail and Severus took Alastor's elbow – the weakness was worse for those newly brought in – while various Snapes and Casimir Malfoys helped the younger children; and Mimette and Albie, the elves who worked for the Snapes, Sirri's parents, had prepared a slap up meal that the younger elements fell on, as Severus put it, like a plague of locusts, only louder.

oOoOo

Seagh and Victor were to be off the morning after the blooding; they were teaming up with Irmi and her Sebastian to mark out and acquire a good place for a day school in Munich for the poor and for goblins. Next September, not the coming one, the school would be fully operational, for they would be joined by Mimi and Darryl – Darryl was teaching for a year in Beauxbatons from this September – and Elsie Blackwood. Elsie was spending a further year in the good air of Prince Peak and doing post graduate studies this year to come. Victor realised with some surprise that he was going to rather miss Elsie; and thought that perhaps he might write to her regularly and see how it went. Seagh would be missing his Silvina, who was not going to be leaving school for another three years; and they had had a long and passionate embrace before Seagh left. They were to be joined by Fabian Ramage, who would be missing his Maud until she left school at the same time as Mimi. And it was just as well, reflected Victor, that they had Irmi as a chaperone; some goblins might be rather funny about letting their daughters be taught by males without a female in the school. This holiday could be used to accelerate some older children who, with that and the next two and a half terms might be able to catch up enough to take ZAPs, the German equivalent of the DOE. Each of the few who were going were, as Seagh put it 'a muckle load o' knowledge forebye' and would be able to cover all basic subjects easily; the only one on which they were deficient was in care of beasts. They had however worked out who was to teach what formally; Seagh as headmaster – by popular acclaim and because no-one else wanted the job as Victor had laughed – was to teach Transfigurations and too chanting as a voluntary class. Sebastian would teach Charms, being one of the few of them who had an 'O' at NEWT in it, Victor having only gained an 'E' and it being silly to change a basic teacher when Elsie was joining them later.

Mimi would end up teaching potions, with Fabian filling in meantime, and teaching Herbology as botany almost alongside potions, which subject Fabian would teach formally later unless Rory Staines joined them as a gardener and Herbologist when Fabian would teach Comparative magic. Elsie, when she came, would take over Transfigurations. Maud would be teaching DADA which Irmi would fill in with in the mean time; she would teach History when the school was up and running properly, being very keen that nobody should repeat the mistakes of history.

Victor was to teach Arithmancy and if anyone had place sense to coach them in what would be a voluntary subject when they were straight, Geomancy. Sebastian was the other Geomancer, but as Victor had taught Herr Müller how to teach it, he had a bit of a head start on that! It was all very exciting, and they had been promised too help, meeting people from Jade's Munich contacts, Neric and Torik, fathers respectively of Fyra and Alrik, of the youngest group of marauders in Prince Peak.

Jade's business manager and lawyer, or Anwalt as the Germans called it, met the new would-be professors; they had been busy pursuing a policy of ruining unfair owners of factories and buying up property in Jade's name; and as one of the factory owners had been killed in an attack on Jade and Wulf's school, Schloss Adler, Jade had been able to purchase a mansion house he had owned that, as Herr Ruprecht Schutzmann the factor said, was rather a nice cock of the snoot at other mansion owners nearby.

"And stuffed with antiques to sell to fund stuff too" said Herr Albericht Kesselring the Anwalt "Though you might want to keep some to teach your pupils about beauty and caring for things; the Baronin has."

Jade had mostly stuck to tapestries and paintings and a few ornaments that might be seen when on a trip to the staffroom for now; but she planned to introduce more breakable beauties into a special room where the children might go just to feast their eyes and learn a little about antiques.

"Are we not more likely to come under attack from other wealthy men?" said Victor.

"Och, awa' wi' ye, we probably shall be anyway" said Seagh cheerfully "When you say mansion, what are you talking about?" his German was accentless.

"There's a wizarding world-owned – though not in Wizarding space – road, very quiet and secluded with muggle repelling spells on it, with some eight large houses, set back from the road, large grounds, a dozen bedrooms plus attics and cellars" said Kesselring.

"Well that's bigger than the free school in London" said Fabian in satisfaction "If that's six rooms to the floor, and we have to knock two rooms into one that's a classroom each and the head's office and we can sleep in the attics; dining room's a problem."

"You mistake, if you excuse me pointing it out" said Kesselring dryly "The ground floor has reception rooms and the ball room; six sitting rooms above then the twelve bedrooms on two floors above that."

"Potions in the cellar; got to be done" said Seagh. "The rest of the cellar for storage. A couple of the reception rooms for my office and a staffroom. And THEN a minimum of nine classrooms. THAT big a mansion. Some industrialist!"

"They were rather self complaisant before we started helping out the ministry by prosecuting them on behalf of individuals" said Schutzmann smugly. "You may have my sister applying to work for you next year too if Jade's not needing her; she's good at quidditch but doesn't want to be a pro, if you're looking for a teacher."

Looks were exchanged; and some thoughtful nods.

It was all going very well; and the mansion proved just perfect for a school, with a bit of alteration!

oOoOo

Back in England, David had read the list of children due to come in and did a bit of searching over one; because a child named Ramsey Corbin was the son of Peverel Corbin, expelled when David was in his first year for experimenting on his cousin Grace; Grace who was subsequently adopted by Severus and was now Madam Draco Malfoy. David made a trip to see Peverel Corbin.

"Fraser!" said Corbin "Who'd have thought a stolid little boy like you would end up as a Headmaster! I shouldn't have said you were at ALL academic."

David made himself smile; it was rather a thin smile.

"I imagine that my six 'O' grade NEWTs count for more than the opinion of someone who did not actually take any" he said. "I need to talk to your son; because I'm not sure I want any of your spawn in my school."

"Good grief! Are you STILL upset because some of us operate on a higher plane of experimentation?" said Corbin.

David looked him in the eye.

"I've done levels of experimentation in potions and other things with the world's pre-eminent potioneer that you couldn't even dream of you little inadequate" he said coolly "Severus said that had you been a half decent potioneer it would still have been unforgivable, but as you were a ….what was it? A half-baked potion-poker with delusions of adequacy, that was it. And if you EVER use phrases like 'a higher plane of experimentation' in relation to poisoning your cousin again I WILL call you out. Now stop wasting my time; I want to see your son."

Corbin shrugged insolently.

"Well you'd better go to see him then" he said "He lives with his mother in France. A little place I own there."

"Ah? Then there's a chance he's not a sub-human like his father then" said David.

oOoOo

Modestine Leblanc and her son lived in a chateau; and Ramsey was wildly excited that so famous a man as Professor Fraser had come to visit.

"Oh M'sieur le Professeur, I so am looking forward to going to the famous Hogwarts school!" he cried. The 'h' was a little exaggerated and obviously learned.

"Well I hope you will get on well" said David "I wanted to meet you because I was at school at the same time as your father."

The child looked apprehensive.

"Was – was he a friend of yours?" he asked.

"No; I loathed him" said David "I helped lay the evidence that got him expelled."

The child's eyes widened.

"He was EXPELLED? He told Maman and me that he left to pursue higher studies at his Uncle's school. Why was he expelled please?"

David hesitated; then decided to share the truth. Ramsey did NOT seem to be disbelieving or defending his father.

"He tested a potion – a badly made potion – on his little cousin who was in my class; she was one of my friends" said David. Actually it had been the incident that had made him be friends with Grace, but that was a bit complex. "She was very ill and might have been sent insane. And she got adopted because of it by Professor Snape; and then she married another of our friends, Draco Malfoy."

"Madam Draco Malfoy is my COUSIN? Oh but she is such a sweet-faced lady!" cried Ramsey. "And she looks so well on a horse!"

"Ah, horse mad are you? We'll be having quidpolo lessons for those who want them" said David. "Yes, Grace Malfoy was born Corbin but changed her name to Snape."

"If only I could change my name to Leblanc and just be Maman's child!" sighed Ramsey "But Papa pays the fees; and too he permits us to live in Maman's old family chateau."

"Is he then unkind to you?" asked David.

"N…no….he is hard and strict; I do not see much of him, only once a year when he checks my progress and questions me on the knowledge I should have" said Ramsey "But I hate him; because he hits Maman if she has not made me be as knowledgeable as he thinks I should be, and I do not think he should have killed my baby sister."

"What's this?" asked David.

"He used Scarpin's Revellaspell on her when she was born; and she was a squib so he cast a spell that killed her in a burst of green" said Ramsey. "Maman said we could have cared for her, loved her even if she never COULD do magic!"

This was the moment at which David knew he ought to get Peverel Corbin indicted for murder by the Killing Curse and actually decided to kill him.

After all the boy would be Peverel's heir; if he was NOT then it was an interesting law suit. And his mother might have her home in perpetuity. Modestine Leblanc was a quiet, dignified woman, cowed by her treatment but putting up with it so her son might have advantages.

David took his leave of the pair and went to see Lucius.

oOoOo

Lucius listened to David ranting with a grim face.

"I'm very fond of Grace" said he "And if this child is NOT the heir, MY Quaestors will know the reason why – because he sounds like a cousin Grace might be prepared to acknowledge. And I think an accident is the best."

"I'll bite; what would you suggest?" said David.

"If you want to kill a muggle you use a car" said Lucius "If you want to kill a wizard you either use a broom accident – or a riding accident. The Corbins ride; Peverel does point-to-point and Gorbrin makes a point of steaming him because he's also good at snide racist comments. A heart attack whilst flying; dead before he falls off his horse, but actually nobody's going to check if he died and fell or if he died as a result of fall."

"How do we do that? And that's cheeky to say 'we' as it was my idea to kill him" said David.

"Oh I was hoping you'd let me in on it" said Lucius. "I haven't done that much dark magic lately and I'm getting withdrawal symptoms, though the weddings should help alleviate that. I'm serving baked beans in a chicken casserole and baby sprouts so the fluorescing farts should be fairly gorgeous."

"I do love you Lucius" laughed David "You take simple pleasure in minor wickedness."

"It keeps me young" shrugged Lucius. "I thought a ritual sending; because Severus and I are probably the only people in the world – the western world anyhow – who know about it. It's quite a tricky little ritual, and I need hair or something from Corbin, but that's not a problem; I can get Dobby to filch some from his flying hat. Then we chant over it, and set up a chant to, let me see, reverse the flow of everything within; having the blood going the wrong way through his heart ought to set up something fatal I should think."

"Rather!" said David. "That's moderately undetectable too; no direct spell, no poison; not a lot to show on the revellaspell."

"Not unless anyone's as good a chanter as me" said Lucius smugly "And most of them are other Malfoys or Snapes. And who would suspect foul play? In fact, dear boy, it might be better to occur when you've a cast iron alibi in the school; after all you ARE known to dislike him."

"Well if you don't mind, Lucius; I hate to abrogate responsibility but…."

"Leave it in my hands" said Lucius. "I've a sullied enough soul already after all; though I can't say I look on this as murder, but as somewhere between execution and the removal of a menace to life."

"Justifiable Germicide" agreed David.

David left feeling comforted; Lucius was a pragmatist. It was what made them such friends, pure blood wizard and muggleborn, despite the age difference and difference in backgrounds.

Lucius would do it with efficiency and despatch, and although he would have liked to have been involved he knew Lucius was right; there must not be a shadow of suspicion attached to the head of Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lucius claimed that his children kept him young; but he was not expecting just how much younger sundry of his children were intending to make him.

Indeed he and Narcissa, Tanjela and Charlotte were positively dragged to the ballroom by Draco and Grace, where all those who had done any chanting – Gorbrin and Erica and their sundry friends and all the children who had already started at Hogwarts – encircled them.

"Do we get an opportunity for honourable surrender?" asked Lucius.

"Dad, we think that as Tom Riddle stole a large portion of yours and mum's life we want to give that back to you" said Draco "We've all discussed it; and we thought we'd sort of aim at making you both of an age with Charlotte, only sort of making Charlotte the age a witch should be at her age not a muggle because it's only fair; and remove the years of worry Tanjela had. So we're going to do a chant, which is Lydia's invention, and it's quite heavy so we're really going to have to concentrate; it uses muggle science you see."

"Why did I ever dislike muggles?" said Lucius.

"Traditionally bad upbringing" said Draco. "Right squad; off we go".

And off they went. The chant went through Draco, with various people feeding power to him to draw out the Malfoy lines from each in turn of the subjects of the chant, searching for the genetic damage of age. And the chant re-ravelled the ends of the chromosomes and tied them tight to prevent them from easily unravelling again; not taking them back to youth but to the mid thirties, shedding some two decades for Lucius and Narcissa, only a few years for Charlotte and Tanjela. Lucius and Narcissa had been starting to show the most minute signs of age – faint suggestions of crows feet, less supple skin – that muggles start to find at about thirty to thirty five years; the years serving the Dark Lord had made them older than their years in any case. The change wrought by the chanters was not so visibly discernable that anyone would seriously notice much change; but there was a profound difference in the way they felt, full of vitality and the knowledge that they had been given more time together, to make up for all the lost time, and to age with Charlotte. Tanjela and Finn. Finn of course was a half fey; and the rate of her aging was unknown. House elves could live at least as long as human wizards if not harried to death; some fey claimed to be immortal, though with how much truth in the claim nobody knew. Gorbrin for one rather suspected that when Lucius died so too would Finn; and possibly now they were blood joined, all five of his parents would die together. All but Finn were now essentially the same age, and they were made more beautiful by the love on their faces for their children and each other than even the rejuvenating chant could make them. And Finn ran to embrace her sister wives and husband when it was over and Draco was not alone to sink to the floor.

"The temperature has dropped noticeably" said Lucius.

"Well this is a hot room at this time of day; I thought I'd make use of that" said Draco. "I COULD have drawn on the group; but why do so if you don't have to? It's sloppy practice to rely on being part of a bloodgroup."

"Quite right" agreed Lucius. "Well my DEAR children I don't think any of us quite know what to say without getting embarrassingly mushy so why don't we all have a glass of the best vintage elf-made wine and toast each others' good health and then go out and have a barbeque to celebrate? And we can have up our muggleborn relatives from the village too" he added.

It was voted a good idea; Dad knew how to have a good time! The youngest preferred to toast health in butterbeer – they had unformed palates and found wine nasty, which was, as Narcissa said, a waste of good wine.

Burnt burgers and sausages – being Lucius they were venison sausages – went down well too. And Lucius gave thanks to any powers that might be listening for his marvellous family.

oOoOo

Lucius had three children to go up to Hogwarts this year; and he reflected with amazement that Varjak was Gorbrin's youngest full sibling, going up with Drogo and Penelope; and that it only seemed like yesterday that Drogo had rejoiced in having a new brother to build mud pies with, and that Penelope was a quiet withdrawn child who, separated by muggle social services from her brothers, did not even speak.

Well that had changed significantly, thought Lucius fondly watching Penelope and Lucasta in a shouting match about which horse they fancied in the yearly Lands' End to John O'Groats race. It was not one Lucius bothered with; he preferred the tough but shorter steeple chases. The prize money for the long race was considerable – Lucius contributed to it – and the winner was guaranteed stud fees for the rest of his mount's life; consequently it tended to be entered by those of limited means and a horse to keep up who dreamed of fame and fortune. Lucius had served as a judge and too as an official, checking that the disillusionment magic was secure; and Draco was serving in that capacity this year. He was taking a selection of the horsier children to the finish to watch the riders come in and warned Penny to be careful what she said to any man if there was an anvil anywhere nearby or she might end up married under Scottish law. Penny poked him; then demanded a history of the infamous smithy and how Scottish law only required – in times past – both parties to acknowledge being married for it to be so.

They would be back in time for the weddings and weevil fest; and Lucius grinned to himself that five children would bear the surname 'Malfoy' this year because his nieces Avice and Alienora were also starting. He was also sponsoring two of the young fey who had flocked to him after that long ago chant; they had just been infants then, brought by their mothers, who had grown up with enough civilised behaviour instilled by Dobby and Lala to be able to fit in sufficiently well. Glasbhinn* had taken the surname Green for her colouring, and Meadhb* had taken the name Brown for hers. They would know each other as well as Lucius' own children – with whom they played regularly, giving them yet more knowledge of the more civilised wizarding world – so they would not start feeling totally strange. Indeed their mothers had taken jobs at the Hall under the gentle bullying of Lala, and Lala with a sufficiency of personality that they never questioned that they, free fey, took orders from a technical slave.

Lala consistently refused to accept clothes; she knew her place and made sure that the Masters and Mistresses knew theirs as Narcissa ruefully put it. Well there would be those who stared at the fey girls; Glasbhinn was about the size of a goblin with human proportions but huge eyes and little pointy ears, and her green colouring the only real difference to any half elf child; Meadhb was a similar size, though her head was a little large in comparison to her body, and its features in proportion to the head, her ears no larger than any goblin's. Indeed it was likely that her brown colouring would be taken by most people as the sallowness generally associated with goblins. The girls were the most stable and resourceful of any young fey, ready to adapt; and that was why Lucius was sponsoring them. Salazar Slytherin would probably turn in his grave at the idea of pure bred fey entering the portals of Hogwarts after the trouble he went to making a Basilisk to keep them out; but times had changed and there were fey and then there were fey. And in Lucius' opinion the best way to deal with the unseelie fey was to outbreed them and to subliminate fey blood in the general population. It occurred to him with amusing irony that one day, if all magical communities interbred, the mark of a wizard would be to look much like a Malfoy, slight of build with the sharp features and almost pointed ears that denoted that fey blood from long ago; and there would be no racism because all would be as one. It would be a long time in the future however.

oOoOo

The three Lucius Malfoys and two fey knew already the twin Casimir Malfoys, Richard Snape and Rose Gaunt-Moody; and had, too, been introduced to the Black-Weasley triplets, the half-goblins Grinlock, Hazo and Mabelinn, siblings of Marauder Lavazka. They were also old friends of Theodore Lupin, known as Teddy to the family that was the Blood Group. He, Richard and Rose were already blooded and told the other two blooded that he rather thought that his dad half expected him to be a marauder.

"Well old boy, we'll have to think about that" said Richard.

"He's a bit snarky because he's feeling nervous about school and not wanting to let his dad down" said Rose, who was very close to all the Snapes and felt she had to explain Richard's snippiness to Teddy. Richard was, of all Severus' children, most like his father; inclined to be reserved and to use sarcasm as both armour and weapon. "I'm game; I'm not a cautious pursuer of constant vigilance like my brother and I'm happy to be in trouble. And so's Richard really you know."

"How nice, Aunty Rose, that you know my mind so well" said Richard.

Rose poked him.

"Stop being snippy" she said. "Who will we pick to Maraud with us?"

"Any one or several of a selection of Malfoys" said Teddy. "And I say ,I think we should get to know all the weevils at the fest anyway."

"Sensible" said Richard "We don't want to rush into picking the wrong ones. Though I have to say, I do count Drogo and Varjak close friends."

The core of the weevils were introduced also to Ramsey Corbin – Grace having invited him as her cousin – and the boy bubbled happily and asked questions about everything, including – when the subject was mentioned – Marauders. The Malfoys and Blooded took him firmly under their collective wings.

There were other weevils who arrived; and the core group muttered rather that some marauders had some pretty rum siblings; Wallace Waffling was more akin to his brother William than either of his sisters, being as Drogo put it a Ravenclaw's Ravenclaw and a self opinionated prig but he repeated himself. Lavazka's siblings seemed sufficient unto themselves; at least the boys did, and Mabelinn a prim child who preferred to watch than join in. Grinlock was inclined to be ready to be stroppy and defensive – being illegitimate and half bred he felt their position being dependant on the charity, as he would have put it, of the Septimus Black-Weasleys. Septimus himself considered it only proper that family should care for family since his nephew had behaved so abominably towards his mistress and children; and Septimus was one of the better off members of the family.

Stephen Templeton, muggleborn and brother of Peter, was soon put down as 'decent but tedious'; and likely to be a Huffer's Huffer. On David Fraser's request Lucius had also invited Daphne and Danae Fawcett, the younger pair of twins in the Fawcett family. Persis and Priscilla, about to enter the third, had been sufficiently immune to their sister's lead that it had been easy to forget that they were her siblings; indeed Persis, in Gryffindor, was able to carry on a quiet life out of her sister's house, and Priscilla kept herself much to the girls of her own year, who were a decent crowd. But Xanthia had been much more of trouble over the past year and David wanted to see her youngest sisters come under almost any influence but hers.

He did not need to worry; Danae was the outgoing one and happy to have the chance to make friends. She and Meadhb hit it off from the word go, and Daphne happy to be friendly with the fey girl too. It was Daphne's opinion that she was going to do as her sister Persis had done and ask to be in any house EXCEPT Ravenclaw to avoid Xanthia; and Danae declared this poor spirited because one should stand up to bullies and Xanthia could hardly do anything to them in school.

David had blown in to see the weevils; and he beckoned Danae over.

"Has your sister always been someone you feared and disliked?" he asked.

Danae nodded emphatically.

"She hated it that mummy and daddy had twins when she was four I think, that's Persis and Priscilla; so she's always been mean to them, Selly says; she's our elf. And then when we came along, Selly says Xanthia had a total screaming hissy fit unbecoming to a big girl of seven because mummy and daddy had done it again. She's always says she hates us so I can't see why she thinks we'd want to support her at school. It upsets mummy and daddy but she says she hates them too for conspiring against her. It's not WRONG to hate your own sister when she does that, is it sir?"

"I don't think so" said David "She – I think I'd try to be sorry for her if I were you, because she's missed the point of how love has a really special Arithmancy, that the more you divide it, the more it multiplies."

"Like rabbits" giggled Danae. "I love all my other sisters; we're the fruit-bowl."

"I missed the point of that one" said David.

"Oh, a pair of pairs; daddy says it's something called a homonym because it sounds like a pair of PEARS, hence a fruit-bowl."

"Ah of course; subtle" said David "I like that. A Fruit-bowl of Fawcetts; alliterative too. And poor Xanthia missing so much."

"Selly says mummy and daddy tried telling her that she was their BIG girl, and that she was special for that; but Xanthia reckons she's special enough that they didn't ought to have wanted any more" said Danae "Of course they were hoping for a boy to continue the name; but there ARE other branches so they gave up after us in case they had a litter of girls another time."

David reflected that it did not sound as though it was any fault in the parents that Xanthia was such a problem; one of those rare exceptions to Snape's Law that if there were no problem parents there would be no problem children. They sounded as though they had tried to do all the right things; and Xanthia was just born with a warped personality. Of course they might have spoiled her a little too much before Persis and Priscilla came along; but most four-year-olds got over being jealous of new babies. Well he would keep an eye on Miss Fawcett; and leave this year's weevils to keep an eye on Daphne and Danae.

oOoOo

There were others who were fairly well known playmates; Leonard Blake and Calley Tranter, half sibling half-elves and not such a dead loss as their immediate elders – in the opinion of the Snape-Malfoy core group – though Leonard was a trifle priggish by comparison to, say, his eldest brother Roger; Calley however was happy to be involved in anything that was going on, though she defended her brother Henry's wet blanket attitude as being because he had to work hard. Blanche Crawford was the youngest Crawford, and beyond being a little bit spoilt was a convivial companion with a ready wit and ready to strum a guitar and sing such perennial favourites as 'there's a zombie in my attic'. Toby Turpin was the brother of Mesmadora, a luminary of the MSHG and took on Richard in a debate about where totally vanished stuff might go – Richard had thrown out the comment to see how many people's eyes glazed over – and held up his end in debate. Richard declared him 'probably an all right sort'. It may be said that Teddy Lupin had thrown daisies at Richard and laughed at him; and Drogo made contentious comments from time to time to keep the debate hot.

And then Lilith Snape had come to see why her brother was in the thick of hot debate and told the group a few arithmantic things that they would never have wanted to know even if they could follow them. Richard was most inordinately proud of his clever sister and longed to be as knowledgeable as her one day; and was chuffed to follow at least some of her explanation.

Other younger siblings were Lysander Weasley, who was not bright but had a good sense of humour and was an all round good sport; and Lilac Wood, sister of Hazel, Tilia and Linden. And another sibling of blooded was Njorjala gan Jorg, sister of Zeljeela who was in the group with Rose's brother Salazar and Richard's adopted brothers Tarquin and Sevvy. Njorjala was quickly re-named Jala for convenience, and declared that if anyone was supporting marauders so was she. She was quickly friends with Glasbhinn. Somewhere along the line Drogo christened her Jar-Jar gan Binks, which was silly enough to stick. Drogo felt he had to uphold Draco's habit of quoting Star Wars in and out of context.

"And I say, Richard, Varjak and I are willing to blood" said Drogo to Richard "If you're picking people. You sort of represent YOUR dad, Teddy represents HIS dad, Rose represents her sister, your mum; and I want to represent Draco. I am the first brother he knew as a baby, after all, even though there's older ones. And I'm actually really dad's second child, like you are for yours."

Richard nodded.

"It IS a bit of symmetry" he said. "A pity we've no Blacks for Padfoot; I don't somehow think the Black-Weasley triplets count. They're not quite…."

"No" said Drogo. "I dunno about you but I shouldn't actually object to Jar-Jar and Glasbhinn; we haven't a bad bunch I guess on the whole."

"I wouldn't actually object to the Corbin boy" said Richard. "I thought about Toby, but he's an intellectual and only an intellectual; I approve on one level but he hasn't got the spark it takes to maraud. I guess, because I'm very much dad's son, I want to maraud because he never actually got to; only became an honorary one later."

"He sure made that up to dad though, brewing the wolfsbane potion and then getting a cure" said Teddy who had drifted over. "Drogo and Varjak then? Penny's not?"

"Penny goes her own route" said Varjak. "She'll back us to the hilt but she isn't a marauder; she said so before the fest. I WANT to Maraud; want to do what ought to be done in society."

"How much are we going to fight?" asked Richard of Drogo. Drogo shrugged.

"As much as cousins Hawke and Abraxus I expect; a constant bicker. We're enough alike for that and both strong personalities. Does it matter as long as we stand together when it matters? Our tongues are our most deadly weapons; think what we can do together. And if we get in a real strop at each other, Teddy will sort it out."

Teddy laughed.

"Oh I don't like my friends being at loggerheads" he said. "Or I might get Rose to spank you both."

"She would too" said Richard ruefully. "All right; you two Malfoys. I want to know Jar-Jar better and Glasbhinn too; we should sick Rose onto vetting them; girls are strange and alien beings. They'd bring us to seven which is lots but significant."

"We'll need lots when your dad moves to the next place for elf-freeing" said Drogo cheerfully.

"And new blood is always good" said Richard, nodding. "We'll see about that; but I don't say you're wrong. If you feel like a marauder you feel instinctively who else feels like a marauder. I'm just cautious."

"And it doesn't always go in families" said Varjak. "Gennar's the only one of my full siblings who actually marauds, though Gorbrin is blooded."

"Just as well" said Teddy "Or the world would be even more knee deep in Snape and Malfoy marauders than it already is."

"The way I calculate it, in two hundred years time, everyone in the wizarding world will be related to either the Malfoys or the Snapes" said Rose, joining them. "Are we having these reprobates? Oh well, I guess we can't get out of it, or Drogo would give us unutterably arrogant Draco looks and Varjak would mirror them. I was thinking about Glasbhiin and Jala myself."

"Well that saves us the trouble of asking you to vet them then" said Richard. "Be a good little girl and invite them over."

"Snide bastard" said Rose, switching his ears smoothly for the plumes on top of one of the white peacocks.

This necessitated a chase of the said peacock which, startled by the affront to its appendages, took off for the bushes, which it had been rather unwise to emerge from in the first place with so many children about, so that Richard could have his ears back.

Once the rumpus had settled down to only normal levels of mayhem, and Richard and the peacock were both restored to normal, Rose collected the two girls selected.

"Hold up your hands and repeat 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good and will uphold the tenets of the Marauders, beat up racists and bullies and uphold justice and be a true brother to all fellow marauders forever and ever" said Richard.

"We got picked to maraud? WIZARD!" said Jala.

"We MIGHT have the Corbin boy as well; we haven't decided" said Richard. "Now do swear for goodness sake and don't be all day about it in so girlie a way."

"He's not really a git, he only does a very good impression of it" said Rose. Richard glared at her.

"He's rather cute when he looks like that, isn't he?" said Glasbhinn. "We do so swear."

Richard insisted that Drogo, Varjak and the girls repeated the words verbatim; which was soon done.

"What Marauder name do we have?" asked Teddy.

"Well all of us bar you have some degree of fey or elf blood if that's anything to the count" said Drogo. "As goblins did descend from the fey."

"I'm only half Malfoy and that's then only three of you with real fey blood" said Richard. "Besides, I know you, you're winding up to be something high falutin' in Quenya because you read Tolkein. And I sort of object to being the Quendi Marauders or similar. As well be the wolf marauders for Ted's background."

"What's that please?" asked Jala.

"Oh his dad was one of the original marauders that protected him because he was a werewolf" said Richard.

"He used to be a werewolf but he's all right nooooooow!" Drogo and Varjak quipped in unison. Richard eyed them with disfavour.

"I can see we're going to have trouble with those two" he said.

"Don't be schoolmasterish" said Rose. "I love your dad very much but DO try not to look the same age as him."

Richard poked her; it was the best thing he could think of.

"Do we have to think of a name right off?" asked Glasbhinn "Because if not, I think we'd be fools to try to hurry it, and by the way, as Teddy seems to be a metamorphagus – his hair's changed colour three times since I've been watching – if the rest of us are any good at transfigurations maybe we could run with that as a basis."

"I am a metamorphagus" said Teddy "My mum is too; and dad took an animagus form as wolf, which IS my favourite form."

"The original marauders were all Animagi" said Richard, getting animated "I'm a Snake animagus as it happens, though I guess I'm not far off a metamorphagus. I think it would be cool if you lot could find forms too."

"If you help us" said Jala. "I like the idea."

Rose giggled.

"And none of us better try to be a basilisk just because my big sister can do basilisk form" she said.

"It's in the blood I guess" shrugged Richard. "You of all people ought to feel snake in there."

"Yes; but you see I might just decide to reject that because I reject HIM" said Rose.

"Stories?" said Jala.

Time was spent explaining backgrounds; true backgrounds as it was to other marauders. And by teatime they were a firmly melded group.

"Somehow I half expected Drogo and Varjak to be Marauders" said Lucius to Draco. Draco grinned.

"Well I HAVE been corrupting them to that end" he said.

"I might have guessed" said Lucius.

oOoOo

At a considerable distance from the mayhem of weevils and incipient weddings a tiger and a young girl lay companionably together in the long grass. Bella was reading a book on Finnish Naming Magic and Assim was washing his big paws.

Assim had agreed to let Bella sleep beside him two or three times a week during the holidays, on the proviso that they be very proper in term time; and so long as he was in tiger form. In fact he would retain man form to give her a thorough kissing first, his hands holding her wrists firmly to prevent too much exploring on either of their parts; and Bella writhed and moaned gently until he could bear it no longer and firmly changed to tiger form, his big pugs still holding her wrists. Bella was then permitted to take off her nightgown, whereupon she was thoroughly washed; and having brought her to happy squealing orgasm with the caresses of his rough tongue, Assim must needs wash and sort out such unruly parts of himself as needed it. And Bella loved to watch because there was nothing quite so adorably silly as a boss-eyed tiger washing his bits.

"Just think, it'll be our wedding being organised next year" said Bella. Assim swiped a big loving tongue across her face and Bella giggled. She always giggled when he did that; it was so tickly.

"You have no regrets about leaving England to teach in my county?" his rumbly, purry tiger voice was thick with the exigencies of being in tiger form.

"None" said Bella firmly "I haven't got a whole lot to stay in England for, even if I didn't feel that home is where you are anyway. I'm protected at school, but you know, there are still too many people who know what I was before I was me, when I was the old Bella. And they can't all of them seem to accept that I returned to childhood totally, losing the memories; and now I'm looking more like she did, I get people spitting on me in the street and making comments; it's why I did that interview for 'Witch Weekly'. In the hopes of actually explaining to the terminally dim. Which is most people who read either the 'Prophet' or 'Witch Weekly'. I also gave a photo shoot and interview to Kordach's new rag because it's going to be populist."

"That's the one he based on the German 'Hochhexen'?" asked Assim. Bella nodded, her lustrous black mane bouncing with a seeming life of its own. Assim purred.

"He's calling it 'Sparkle'" said Bella "To suggest stars of high society as well as from wands; the logo is a wand pouring out stars surrounding the name. Fairly puke-worthy but Kordach's even more of a cynic than Lucius and he knows what the lowest common denominator wants. Nobody ever lost money by underestimating the taste of the people. It's going to have stories about who split with whom, who's marrying whom, what high society babies have been born and so on, but it's mostly going to be pictures for those who don't read so well, and a bit of gossip."

"Hrrrrr" said Assim in distaste.

"I know" said Bella "But Kordach IS a friend of the family so he'll be moderately discreet. Besides, he's too nervous of upsetting Lucius not to be. And I WOULD like to have a less negative image as it's not my fault the previous me was a dyed-in-the-wool cow; and that wasn't even her fault totally poor moo. Only it's not very nice. And Kordach's covering the whole going to India to teach poor children which gives him the opportunity to have glossy Bollywood pictures and one or two of raging poverty, enough to raise sympathy but not enough to put Madam Braindrain from Finchley off her Krunchygiggle Kornflakes."

"Well maybe it might even bring some donations" said Assim "Though I'd not hold your breath."

"I wasn't planning to" said Bella. "Lie on your back; I need to do your tummy."

Assim sighed heavily but complied. Bella was just a little bit obsessed with his fluffy white tummy.

oOoOo

The day of the wedding dawned in a thunderstorm with hail.

"Do you think someone's making a racist comment?" quipped Gorbrin.

"Nope; it's just the heavens saying 'Hail to the conquering Hero'" replied Draco.

"I don't think I'm touching a straight line like that" said Gorbrin "It's perilously close to 'Carry on Cleo'."

"Beware the nuts in May?" said Draco. "Don't worry; it's still early. It's going to be brilliant sunshine for my favourite brother getting hitched; I put in an order for it personally."

"I hate to disappoint you old boy" said Gorbrin "But though Malfoys mostly have everything their own way, somehow I don't think the winds, waves and weather can be intimidated or bribed."

"A mere bagatelle!" Draco waved a hand. "Are you too nervous for a slap up breakfast?"

"What's to be nervous over?" said Gorbrin "I'm getting married, not going into battle against a troupe of dark wizards."

"Stern and manly stuff!" Draco congratulated. "Bridegrooms are traditionally supposed to be nervous and brides radiant. As I recall Grace and I were just impatient, me because I was hungry and she because she needed a pee."

"Trust my dear husband to bring the tone down" laughed Grace. "I don't recall a lot of the wedding day; it's the following night that's important."

"And she can STILL make me blush" chuckled Draco.

Gorbrin went with his brother to join the other victims of matrimony for a traditional Malfoy breakfast which involved anything that could be fried having been fried or a choice of scrambled eggs for those who could not face a sunny-side up fried egg at six o'clock in the morning. The MSHG luminaries were of course quite unmoved by early hours; but it was fortunate that Lucius had magical chafing dishes and a relay of cooking as some of his guests were a little more tender than this. As it was, Gorbrin considered himself up late since he, Ming Chang, Jardak gan Torlo, Jordan Christie and Sebastian Cantripp had held an informal stag party and drank each other's health in elf made wine and a bottle of vintage brandy that Gorbrin had dug out of Lucius' wine cellar. Being young men of healthy appetite they had rather assuaged the effects of the alcohol by breaking out some of the buffet eats that had been put away for the wedding, which had caused them much scolding from Lala and being chased off to bed at an hour that was indecently good for them, as Jordan put it.

oOoOo

Draco had been quite right about it clearing; but then, in general, the adage 'rain before seven, fine before eleven' tends to be a true aphorism; and works equally well for hail. At half past ten the day was brilliantly sunny and Narcissa heaved a sigh of relief.

The weddings might go ahead on schedule and without excessive hitches.

* Green Lady, pronounced Glasveen *pronounced Meev


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The day might have been marred by the small but vocal knot of those protesting miscegenation over Gorbrin's wedding of Meliandra; but the neatly uniformed security trolls and half trolls hired by Lucius from the newly licensed Bodyguard Bureau were ready to discourage them. Desdemona, the part troll owner of the Bureau had been invited by Lucius too and she knew her 'boys' were just longing to show off how good they looked in their snappy new uniform. David had, with help from Lucius, forced through a law that any being was all being and that half trolls counted as beings save if they qualified to have a protection order on them for diminished responsibility, like children. And the law permitting certain trolls to be counted as beings who could prove the ability to understand speech and reply to simple questions intelligibly was in the process of passing; which would give Trurk in the Forbidden Forest status as a being, and too the father of many young half trolls who were in training under Desdemona, being Trurk's brother.

"Tiresome of them" said Draco, of the protestors. He strolled over. "I say, you oiks, if a Malfoy unbends to marry someone of lower family like a Bulstrode, what business is it of yours? It's not as though my brother Gorbrin was sullying our line by wanting to marry one of your poxy and vulgar wenches, the Bulstrodes do at least have some modicum of class doncherknow."

This insult brought a moment of stunned, indignant silence, then a burst of outraged shouting. Draco held up a languid hand. His charisma made the small crowd fall silent.

"I believe" said Draco "You are infected by muddy and turgid thinking; and this is a bad idea, as you have NOT got the basic equipment for such an activity. I suggest you leave forthwith however unless you want to find out how come my father has so many fine peacocks; pretty creatures in that form, but rather stupid and inclined to screech about nothing; I'm sure you see where the similarities lie."

"That's threats that is, Mr Malfoy!" said one.

"Threats? Oh pardon me, is it a threat that I offer to tell you where the peacocks come from, fellow? I don't somehow think that it would read like that in transcription…..and I DO have omnioculars recording exactly what has been said. The only threat I've heard has been from the fellow in the green hat who made suggestions of what he'd like to do to Gorbrin….strange perversions you have fellow, but there ARE laws against that sort of thing and if you'd only care to either leave your name or hang about long enough to be arrested our family Quaestors will be ready to press charges….. oh you were going to leave were you? Wise move."

The little knot melted away like the earlier fall of hail.

"How to make enemies and intimidate people" said Harry to his friend.

"Bred in blood and bone – and adoption" said Draco cheerfully.

oOoOo

And then the brides were coming out for the ceremony and Draco had to shift quickly to take his place as Gorbrin's best man. Gorbrin was tall and well built for a goblin – the rapid growth of teenage years with good food and plenty of fresh air and exercise had wrought him into a very giant amongst goblins, standing head and shoulders over many an adult goblin at almost human height. Jardak was not so tall as his friend, but he too was well formed from the good food at Hogwarts in term time, and as well he was; as Jazka too had grown beyond the norm for goblin girls. Kinat's theory that poverty was at least a part of the short stature of goblins was definitely being shown up.

Even so, Meliandra was still taller than her bridegroom; and as a stocky girl rivalled his well muscled shoulders in her own width; but Narcissa had made the best of her in dressing her and had resisted Meliandra's mother's urges to dress her daughter in excess frills in what Charlotte suggested was a mistaken way to compensate for Meliandra's rather plain features. The Madams Malfoy had, between them – mostly Narcissa who was a genius at dress – managed to emphasise Meliandra's best points, and dressed her in a simple straight gown of heavy ivory coloured silk with a little jacket embroidered with seed pearls for trim and a plain elegant tiara of pearls holding the short veil. Meliandra would never be beautiful but she was regal and dignified and looked, as Gorbrin whispered to her, like a million galleons. Meliandra's sallow face flushed slightly and became almost beautiful; and the official photographer, Dennis Creevey, had the sense to snap the shutter quickly.

Leodegar Bulstrode had never been keen on the idea of his only child marrying a goblin – even one with Malfoy as part of his name – but had been brought round to give his daughter away by Meliandra threatening to live in sin with Gorbrin instead if he would not. Thetis Avery-Bulstrode just wanted her daughter to be happy; and had more or less come to like Gorbrin. Having Narcissa Malfoy invite her to the sort of do's she might not otherwise have had invitations to had not gone amiss either; Thetis was rather a silly woman but thoroughly manipulated and guided by Narcissa and the other 'girls'.

oOoOo

Erica really was the beauty of the party, her auburn hair shining in an aureole about her face with a veil that was held by more of a jewelled clasp than a tiara. All the brides wore similar robes – it was a style that with only a little alteration suited all of them – in shades of ivory and cream as best suited their complexion. Erica's gown was a shade paler than her perfect Malfoy magnolia skin and the seed pearls matching; Jazka wore a warmer cream to knock back the olive shade of her goblin complexion; Stacey, who had the kind of loveliness half breeds so often had, was in much the same colour as Meliandra, which suited a range of complexions; and Irmi was in the palest ivory with golden coloured scroll patterns in the brocade of the jacket that showed up the golden mountain tan she had acquired living in Prince Peak. She was a creature of gold, with golden hair cascading down her back; and amber eyes glowing with love for her Sebastian.

And Lucius made a speech as he gave away his radiant daughter.

"This is the first opportunity I've had to do my own giving away of a bride, since Erica is my oldest daughter; and all I can say, young Ming, is that if she's too hot for you to handle, there's no giving her back!"

Ming roared with laughter and so too did everyone else.

The bridesmaids were held in common; little sisters of brides and grooms, including Irmi's adoptive half goblin sister Lily; Yulan supporting her cousin Ming and his bride and Jordan's sister Martina who had gone to Rowan House since the Black family blood had not always bred true in the descendants of the squib Marius Black. His cousin, little Petunia Dursley was also a bridesmaid; she had insisted very loudly until cousin Jordan gave in. And Meliandra was happy to be supported by Gorbrin's little sisters preferring them to her cousin Dionysia or Dionysia's younger sister.

Stacey was married as Anastasia Kordach; she had left behind her mother's surname when the foolish Miss Preston had thought it all right to arrange a marriage for her daughter on Stacey's sixteenth birthday rather then let her take NEWTs because she thought this was the epitome of security and a marriage proposal was to be grabbed regardless of the fact that her daughter had never even met the man doing the proposing. Stacey had fled and begged protection of the school until her seventeenth birthday and had adopted her father's name; and he was giving her away, looking as pleased as punch. It may be said that Stacey had written to her mother informing her that she was marrying a scion of a branch of the Most Noble Black Family, acknowledged as a cousin by the same, and that as a clerk-in-training to be a quaestor she already earned more than the man her mother had picked. It was partly a gloat, and partly a letter to make it clear to her mother that Miss Preston would never see any of her grandchildren in case she tried to sell them. Stacey was not ashamed that her mother had been a kept woman; she was however deeply concerned that her mother's instincts as an inept and money-grubbing layabout, who would take any deal that seemed good regardless of impact to those around her or even if it really WAS a good deal, might cause more grief if she had anything more to do with the woman. Stacey's existence had bought her mother an easy lifestyle paid for by Kordach until the foolish woman had betrayed her own daughter in her mistaken attempt to 'establish her respectably', oblivious to the fact that a good education would gain Stacey a job that would establish her far more respectably than Miss Preston could ever dream of. Miss Preston had not only not been invited, but Stacey had written that if she tried to attend the wedding, she would be ejected by security trolls because Lucius was employing such.

It was Stacey's casual reference to Lucius by his first name that really brought it home to Miss Preston that her daughter actually moved in very different circles to those she herself knew; and that her own lack of comprehension about the other pupils who were Stacey's friends had cost her the chance to mingle with the great and the good at Malfoy Manor. The bride's mother shed many bitter tears but more on her own account than for the usual reason the mother of the bride often weeps.

Another mother of another bride also shed a few tears; Tears of happiness. Charlotte had never dreamed that her Erica would have such chances, and such happiness; and she absolutely adored Ming for being part of her daughter's happiness. Jazka's mother held Charlotte's hand and sniffed loudly too; the Malfoys had done such a lot for their family and her new son-in-law's family too; and Jazka and Jardak had jobs to walk into teaching – they would be Professors!

Irmi had no mother to weep over how lovely she looked; but Jade as her stepmother, who rarely did emotional, was grinning in delight for her friend and step daughter with moist eyes; and Wulf did the joyful weeping for both of them that his daughter could marry without worry that the taint of being a werewolf would pass to HER children.

Thetis Bulstrode's tears were partly from concern that it was actually going to work out and that her daughter would not regret marrying a goblin – even a Malfoy goblin – and would be happy.

oOoOo

The ceremony went well; and they were all married!

"I never saw such a group of insouciant bridegrooms in all my life!" said Dennis Creevey. "HOW did you do it?"

"Would you believe pure thoughts and clean living?" said Ming.

"Not from you old boy" said Dennis.

"It could be that those of us who aren't planning on being aurors are preparing to teach; and so we're all unspeakably brave!" laughed Gorbrin.

"Oh of course; that'll be it!" agreed Dennis cheerfully "Let's have a nice group; one for Kordach's new rag, Lucius promised him one or two pics in exchange for not using his own photographers."

"Bit of a cheek dad calling on you; you're a sports reporter" said Gorbrin.

"You mean this isn't the preliminary to bedroom sports?" said Dennis. He put on a commentating voice and said "And now we have Mr Malfoy-Tobak coming straight up the middle of the bed….. sorry" he added as Meliandra gave him a Look.

"Drawing a veil over any further speculative commentary" said Gorbrin "Thanks all the same but the idea of reporters on my wedding night fill me with urges of corridor curses."

"And he's too polite to go as far as I would" said Meliandra.

oOoOo

There was the feast then and Gorbrin pretended not to notice various of his siblings and their cronies casting the fluorescent fart jinx on his new father-in-law among others. Another would-be weevil was there with a spare – and not very welcome – relative; Godfrey Yaxley had brought his daughter Tiarella. Godfrey was the oldest son of Odilia Malfoy-Yaxley and had managed to avoid charges of goblin coursing for being too pompous to be involved in any active engagement. It may be said, however, that Godfey HAD been the only one of Sephara's older siblings to congratulate her on achieving four NEWTs and being a late developer not a squib; and if that was only perhaps to keep in with his uncle Lucius it had been done moderately gracefully, and he was in communication with both his youngest sisters. Tiarella had an arrogant carriage; but then, as the not-yet-named marauders agreed this was not necessarily bad because so did Richard, Drogo and Varjak. She also had very shrewd eyes so they decided to be polite to her for now because they could always jinx her into a ball later if she was a pain.

Tiarella was rather pleased to be acknowledged by Malfoy relatives; and she was more curious than otherwise about Varjak.

"Great Uncle Lucius is a clever man" she said "Everyone says so; and he wouldn't have adopted goblin children and given them the same status as his other children if he didn't think he had reason; so it stands to reason traditional views must be flawed. If he'd married a goblin woman for political reasons I think he would have picked one without children so any half bred children would too be half Malfoy; so it stands to reason that he actually does love your mother and it wasn't politics at all. Daddy says Uncle Lucius is most awfully complex but he never does anything he doesn't want to do anyway and Grandmama ought to have realised that and shouldn't have got involved in such stupidity. If you ARE equal to humans in all ways I should say that it's wrong as well as stupid. I did wonder actually if it was better to keep breeding within the wizarding world and so it still counts as being pure blooded to have goblin or elf in your family rather than muggle; but Great Uncle Lucius has a muggle wife too so maybe the traditional views are wrong there too."

"They are" said Drogo once he'd got his breath back over this self possessed little speech. "It's my mum. And muggles come in a variety of potentials too because there's wizarding blood in the muggle community same as how there's muggle blood in pretty well every family. Professor Dumbledore said being pure blood is a myth propagated by the insecure because it's impossible to know precisely way back to the beginning of people and magic. And so some muggles COULD do rudimentary magic, same as a lot of squibs can, but it's not worth training them; if they don't have enough to manifest in their early years, we ignore them on the whole. My mum could always get potions to work, kind of, and grind magical pigments and paint moving pictures; and dad did a ritual to develop her potentials and she's never going to be a great witch but she can do rudimentary grooming spells and hold up a shield charm and simple essentials like that."

"A shield charm's not exactly simple" said Tiarella.

"Of course it is!" put in Ruchard impatiently "Any muggins can do that one, it's one of the ones we all learn years and years before we're old enough for wands!"

"Along with sundry corridor curses" said Varjak happily "Though that might be the advantage of having an auror for a big brother."

"Well it's scarcely Conjuration Theory to reverse-engineer hexes older ones do around you" said Richard.

"Not for you" said Rose equably "Not everyone manages it though."

"I think maybe I'm talking to the more talented amongst this year's intake" said Tiarella "I don't know any spells."

They all stared at her.

Teddy found his voice first.

"Gosh, not ANY?" he said in horror.

Tiarella shook her head.

"Daddy said school would be soon enough to learn that sort of thing" she said.

"Well look here, cousin, the least we can do is to teach you the shield charm" said Drogo "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"Call dad 'Uncle Lucius' by all means but for Merlin's sake leave off the 'Great'; he'd massacre you. He's FAR too vain to want to be a great uncle; it's far more ageing than being a grandfather!" said Drogo.

"Well he doesn't actually look very great uncle-ish" said Tiarella "But I didn't want to be disrespectful; daddy said I should tread as though on dragon eggs around him."

"He's not that fearsome" said Glasbhinn "I mean you don't want to get caught doing something that's really going to tweak his strings; he put his slipper across my backside for filling Ransley Corbin's riding boots with spiders; and he gave me a massive talking to about cruelty to dumb animals. I hadn't learned the fluorescent fart jinx then and I didn't like Corbin's manner to me or my mum" she added.

"He is rather stuck up" said Tiarella "Are you – I mean what manner of person are you and are you one of Uncle Lucius' children?"

"No; his part-fey wife is blue" said Glasbhinn "And the colour cast breeds true until it breeds out. My mum ran away from de facto slavery in a rath of an Irish Unseelie chieftain and brought me with her; because Lucius was the Sacrifice we can all feel his freeing blood in our hearts singing and so he could be easily found….. I guess you don't know the story."

"Be fair; most people don't" said Drogo. "Maybe we'll tell you some day; just take it that dad is well popular with elves and lesser fey in Britain because he helped them be less miserable."

"Oh. Well I don't really understand but I guess it doesn't matter" said Tiarella. "As it's plainly a bit of a secret. So I shan't pry."

"Cheers" said Richard.

They voted her better than might have been expected from the child of one of Auntie Sephara's rotten siblings!

oOoOo

There had been much thought amongst the unnamed marauders about what animal form each of them might take; Drogo was of the opinion that some kind of big cat would be elegant and would have sharp enough teeth to worry people if need be; Varjak wanted to be something that flew and was torn between the form of the family eagle owl and an actual eagle, which would not be out of place in Scotland. Jala, who hoped to be in Gryffindor with her sister said a lion or gryphon might be rather nice, only lionesses weren't so magnificent; and Richard pointed out – with unwonted gentleness – that being an animagus of a magical being was harder and generally only happened if you were in a line that did animagus or were specially good at transfiguration. Jala said that in that case, as there were supposed to be tigers around the place being a tiger was rather pretty. Glasbhinn was torn between keeping her own accustomed colour and therefore being a snake – which was not, she said, quite a comfortable thought – and being something clever like a fox. Rose said that a fox sounded rather good and she wished she had thought of it first but there again perhaps a ferret might be cool and have the snaky sort of movements that she felt in her blood too.

"Well until we had eagles, foxes and ferrets we were set to be a Jungle Book Marauder group" said Richard. "Well there's a group called the Prowling Marauders; why don't we be the Hunting Marauders? We are all predators after all."

"That ought to do it" said Teddy. "And even if everyone doesn't become an animagus, Marauders hunt out baddies anyway so it still kinda fits."

They were draped over the limbs of a big willow that grew down by the stream that had become their temporary headquarters having diligently practised hovering charms and switching spells to acquire sausage rolls, sandwiches and cakes from the buffet and to fill bottles with pumpkin juice and – in the case of Drogo – something less innocuous that he spat out and declared horribly grown-up tasting. Richard asked which punch bowl it had come out of and absently switched it back and acquired pumpkin juice for Drogo with a smoothness that would have had his friends applauding if they had only been knowledgeable enough to realise that it was done with more finesse than most OWL students could manage. Especially as the bowls were out of sight and he was relying solely on memory. Drogo thanked Richard cheerfully and said it was good that they had a resident genius and hurrah for Snapes. Richard went slightly pink and tried not to look pleased.

oOoOo

Richard's older sister was haranguing her group that they needed something spectacky – as Stuart would have put it, she said – to mark their last few terms of being legitimate japesters.

"The thing is, Half-pint" drawled Sextus "That you come up with such virtuous japes that have already been spectacular that it's going to be difficult. I mean, how do we top New Zealand?"

This was such a good point that the Stripy Marauders were all reduced to silence – beyond the exercise of jaws on THEIR stolen goodies. The Stripy Marauders, being more sophisticated than proto-weevils, had used vanishing spells on various goodies and vanished them right ahead of them up to THEIR den in a tangled mass of apple tree branches. Of course both groups could just have filled plates and taken them right away by hand; but that was somehow too tame and having liberated the goodies made them taste better.

"I s'pose we could reverse the gravity in the senior common room with the tarantallegra curse tied to it so they go in and start dancing on the ceiling" suggested Kazrael.

"And it isn't interfering with their work because they didn't ought to be doing any in the common room" added Jayashree. "Tiger Rag too, as the honky-tonk twinkletoes curse because one of the people we'll catch is Bella and she'll be so much less waxy if there's a tiger theme in it."

"She has a point there" said Venus "So long as the sixth don't think Bella did it."

"Well it's not hardly likely as an elderly type like an upper sixth would do that is it?" said Lilith "Anyway, everyone knows Bella owns up to anything she's done; so they'll know it isn't her when she says it isn't."

"Unless that Fawcett girl makes trouble" said Gennar.

"Oh she's terminally scumbumbological" said Sextus.

"She's what?" said Gennar "I do believe you made that up – there's no such word!"

"There is now" said Sextus "I invented it and it suits Fawcett down to the ground."

"OOOH the excitement, I can hardly stand it!" said Lilith "I wish I could invent words like that it's the most THRILLING thing, he should be featured in 'Witch Weekly' and win their most fascinating sneer competition too!"

"Well he couldn't win their 'Most charming smile' competition because he doesn't know how to" said Gennar lazily.

Sextus absently accelerated bread pellets at both of them with his wand.

"Are we up for the jape?" asked Kazrael.

"Rather" said Lilith "It's a jolly good one. And I like the idea of using 'Tiger Rag' with it; sort of a farewell to Bella in there too. And we ARE the Stripy Marauders after all with a tiger on board in the form of Jayashree. Any objections? No? Well we'll see if we can get that in before Halloween, and I say, Sec, are you trying to set up some kind of a physical impossibility by getting those bread pellets up to light speed?"

"I just wondered how fast I could get them to go keeping my wand on them and an accelerating force" said Sextus who had changed targets "Reckon I can hit the stuck up moo from the 'Daily Prophet' if I keep on target…..BULLSEYE!"

The witch squealed and jumped; as well she might from a bread pellet accelerated constantly for about a hundred yards; it hit with about the force of an air rifle pellet on her well rounded posterior.

"I dunno about BullsEYE" said Lilith critically "More a bit of rump steak."

"Well I hit what I aimed at which is the main thing" said Sextus cheerfully.

The outraged witch was looking round for some cheeky fellow to blame for the sudden stinging sensation in her nether regions, and found nobody behind her; whereupon she screeched that there were hornets loose.

The ensuing mayhem was decidedly amusing to watch; and it was too tempting NOT to stir it up a bit more with a few more bread pellets.

It got rid of the more tenacious of the not really wanted guests in fairly short order; welcome guests seemed utterly immune to hornet-ball stings.

They might have played for longer had not Sextus accidentally hit Lucius as he came to see what the fuss was about.

"That's torn it" said Sextus.

Lucius stopped, rubbed his cheek where it had been hit and said,

"_Accio_ missile."

The bread pellet flew to his hand and Lucius frowned. A bread pellet should not hurt that much unless subject to uncontrolled muggle physics. He looked hard in the direction from whence it had come; and walked purposefully.

Sextus stuck his head out of the tree.

"I wasn't aiming at YOU sir" he said "I was aiming for Mel's aunt."

"Ah, then I don't need to ask what terrible thing I may have done to arouse your ire" said Lucius. "Hornets, eh?"

"That was all that reporter's idea" said Lilith "If she hadn't screamed Hornet we shouldn't have thought of stirring up the rest."

"And she screamed so beautiful" said Gennar.

"What, blame it all on the 'Prophet'? damn good idea, I do it myself" said Lucius. "That was a NICE shot to her fundament; pack it in now though, too much overdoes things."

"Yes sir!" they all chorused.

oOoOo

The guests who were not unwanted were in no wise discommoded by such goings on; and as most were used to the high jinxes of the Weevil Fests they ignored the mayhem. The three young house guests there from Jade's school, Magda Schmitt, Biirta Hess, and Gauda gan Gerit noted that English small children seemed as high spirited as German ones but more self-confident in their bearing and outrageous cheek – they had been winked at by Chrys Lockheart as he and friends dropped the fluorescent fart curse on selected guests – than the underprivileged children of their own school. Lucius had met Magda at equestrian meets that Jade had taken her to, while Penny and Lucasta rode; and had decided to help her and her friend Biirta make connections. Jade had suggested having Gauda also. Biirta and her snide humour fitted in just nicely with the family; and Magda was a nice girl who was passionate about her ideals. Lucius liked them both. Gauda was initially more self effacing, but had come out very well when she saw that the goblins in Lucius' family really DID have equal status; and she too was a most pleasant girl, clever and able. Being at the Malfoy weddings was a way in which they might mingle with and observe high society without in any wise having to be in the limelight, as they would be when launched as debutants. Gauda was not to be launched as such – at least, not in Germany; it would not be accepted. Her ambition was to teach however, and being able to be comfortable in any society would give her a self confidence that would stand her in good stead, especially as she had talked long to various of the teachers at the London Free School.

oOoOo

The Weevil Fest was to continue unabated for another day after the weddings; a few other weevils as well as Tiarella had arrived with parents who had managed to wangle invites; one was a child called Cassandra Bode, whose older brother was nice lad in Gryffindor in the same year as the Stripy Marauders seemed less convivial then her brother; Cassandra was a seer and very pleased with herself over it. Her brother was voted most tolerant for just shrugging and saying that she couldn't help it, poor kid.

Alexander Bones was the much younger brother of a young woman called Susan, who had been a contemporary of Harry Potter; with Voldemort dead her parents had gone ahead and had another baby more or less to celebrate, which as Lucius said he could hardly carp over since there was his second family for much the same reason. Alexander was very proud of the fact that he had a little nephew just five years younger than him whom he would be able to look out for when the said nephew started school; his sister Susan had married a cousin of Cedric Diggory.

Ariadne Ollerton and parents had been invited mostly to spite Madam Flyte-Johnston since the guest list would be published and Lucius knew fine well that the wretched woman would read it to see what sort of trash the Malfoys had at their wedding parties. Like the Flyte company, the Ollertons made racing brooms; the Cleansweep company was established by the Ollerton brothers Bob, Bill and Barnaby; and were still among the best of the cheap end racing brooms for quidditch. The most recent model was the Cleansweep Prime, which would have been number thirteen only the three directors worried about this affecting sales as so many wizards were superstitious. Fortunately one of their factory managers was a goblin who suggested the name as goblins consider the prime number thirteen to be lucky; and it had proved a popular model with wealthy enough goblins who hoped to get their offspring onto quidditch teams now the IQA had opened the sport to goblins. The name was snappy enough too that it sold to wizards who had not realised the significance; and the company was going strong. Ariadne was the granddaughter of Barnaby Ollerton and admitted freely that she was fond enough of quidditch but no great player.

Oswald Beamish was the brother of Eugenia in the third, the same year as the Weird Marauders; a serious boy dedicated, like much of his family, to goblin rights and inclined to be a bit tedious about it, but tolerated because he meant well.

By contrast in attitude, Deirdre Tremlett was the daughter of Donaghan Tremlett, base player of the Weird Sisters; invited largely because the Malfoy children knew sundry other relatives of other members of the Weird Sisters. Deirdre was loud in her condemnation of a human marrying a filthy goblin and did not get to stay for the weevil fest's last day because Lucius asked Donaghan to leave and take his rude and ill-bred guttersnipe of a daughter with him. And Heathcote Barbary murmured to his fellow musician that least said soonest mended and it was best NOT to make a spectacle of himself as Donaghan Tremlett looked as though he was considering making an issue of the matter.

It may have been this incident that led to a rather acrimonious row and the break up of the Weird Sisters later that summer.

Lucius had also invited those of his ken who had deatheater associations, partly to keep an eye on them and see what their offspring might be like; to give his children a sporting chance of dealing with them before term even began when no official notice need be taken. Darius Burke, a cousin of Dimsie and her brothers, was a cheerful lad who made the right impact by picking up and mopping the knee of small Abraxus Malfoy when he fell over for being rather short in the leg to keep up with his contemporaries, being part fey. Abraxus it may be said was less grateful than he should have been as he wanted to go on playing, and a torn pair of jeans and bloody knee, once he was over the shock and the initial tears was nothing; so Darius merely got a quick kiss on the cheek for his pains and a scrambling small boy looking for more trouble.

"Cheers; you're all right" said Drogo.

"I have a kid sister, though she's a few years older than that one" said Darius. "Cynthia's rising eight now."

"Oh, she'll come in with Veronika, Honor and Hope, Andromeda and my nephew Edward then" said Drogo. "We must have you and her over to play some time so she gets to meet the others."

"Thanks" said Darius. "It's nice not to be looked at askance because dad has a cousin in prison."

Drogo shrugged.

"And we know all HIS kids; you know, it's no big deal" he said "It's not the fault of relatives."

Drogo introduced Darius to Ramsey Corbin; both seemed cheerful but essentially gentle lads who might do well by sticking together.

The friendship was instant.

The surprise child was Draco Macnair – Draco was, like Harry, Ron and Hermione a name much in vogue with children of around this age – who was a huge lad.

"Crumbs, mate, were you meant to be twins but got sort of squashed into one?" asked Ramsey before even Drogo could ask.

"I'm half giant" said Draco, elevating his chin firmly. "You see my grandfather was a deatheater; and he was sent by Voldemort to negotiate with the Giants and he had what he thought was the brilliant idea of using his own daughter as a bribe to the Gurg."

"That's horrible!" said Ramsey "And I thought I had a rotten father!"

"Well my grandfather died, as I understand it, at the Battle for Hogwarts" said Draco "And my mum actually survived giving birth, though it's made her health really poor. I hate everything the deatheaters stood for; and so does my mum. She called me Draco because Draco Malfoy had the courage to stand up for what was right in the face of being supposedly a supporter of Voldemort. She reckoned anyone who could fool the dark lord deserves respect. I guess too she hoped it might curry favour a bit with Mr Malfoy so he wouldn't dismiss me as just the child of a deatheater family."

"Well so long as you're not about to be racist about non-giant blood" quipped Drogo.

"Seems to me all people are much alike; some good, some bad, mostly indifferent unless they get persuaded to a cause" said Draco.

"He'll do" said Drogo.

"Reckon we've four staunch supporters of Marauders here, with Penny and these three" said Varjak.

Marauding was explained.

"Reckon I shouldn't like to get up to too much mischief but I reckon I'll stand by and help" said Draco in his slow deep voice.

Ramsey nodded and so did Darius; and if they were a little disappointed not to be invited to be actual Marauders, why supporting was the next best thing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

David had attended the weddings of course; seeing the two offspring of one of his dearest friends married was special. Besides it gave him that chance to informally look over the weevils, as he had checked out the youngest Fawcetts. But he was, as headmaster, a busy man even in the holidays. He needed two junior staff to fill the positions of Junior Charms and Junior DADA Professors. And at least he had teachers he trusted in Hawke and Lynx for the other two posts! He had spoken to the ministry; and informed them that any of their staff wanted to qualify properly by working as teachers for a year, they had better have their applications in to him on the day before the Malfoy Manor Weddings at the very latest or they would not be considered.

And they had left it late; and the owl that arrived with the application on the day after the weddings was told to wait while David scanned the application quickly to see if reasonable excuse was given – anyone could break a leg say – but as no excuse was given at all, just a lot of blarney, David wrote across the top,

"Anyone who cannot get an application in by the deadline is not going to set a very good example of time keeping to the students; recommend this person not be permitted anything more responsible than cleaning floors" and directed the owl back to the minister.

He had in all six applicants for the position of junior Charms Professor, and three for DADA. Not all of them were from the ministry. In fact of the nine applicants only four had come from the Ministry; and one of them was Timothy Gregory, who obviously had more sense and balls than he had given him credit for. Well if Timothy was not the one he picked, he would make sure and tell him that he appreciated that it had taken a man to apply. Two of the applicants, one for DADA and one for Charms were old classmates of David's; and whether it was wise or not to employ them was another matter. Both Wido Mordaunt and Hugh Hullit were friends of his, which made it awkward. Well, Filius and Remus would have the final say; and he should interview all the applicants regardless of whether he knew them or not.

oOoOo

David crowded all the candidates together in a classroom with magazines and refreshments and a view-o-sneak to observe them beforehand, on the principle that these were people who were possible colleagues, and that meant they had to get on in the staffroom. It gave him a dislike for two of the candidates straight away, a rather sneering man and an aggressively mannered woman. He also set up a two-way gate to another classroom, where he had installed the blooded of the Lifemunchers who were due to go into the second; all with instructions to be slightly dim. With Zeljeela and Sevvy they also represented goblins and elves to ascertain how candidates adapted to that too.

He decided to interview the Charms candidates first, with Filius; and in strict alphabetical order; and that meant the sneering Ravenclaw, Aubrey Aubrey.

Aubrey Aubrey further irritated David when introducing himself by saying

"Goes rather well together, hauh hauh" of his name. As he then added "And I see from the rabble you have waiting that I'm plainly the only real candidate for the position; I'm the only Ravenclaw and I doubt any of the REST have five NEWTs, nor my level of skill" David's irritation did not diminish.

"Well that remains to be seen" said David, working on not jinxing the fellow into a ball. "Numbers of NEWTs do not necessarily make a good specialist teacher; nor do they preclude a specialist teacher from being good at his subject. There are more factors to consider in a new member of staff than pure qualifications."

Aubrey Aubrey looked put out.

"Well surely you need someone with appropriate qualifications?" he said "Anything short of an 'O' grade in Charms NEWT….."

"The grade is irrelevant since the junior teaching post does not call for that level of teaching" interrupted David. "More important is the ability to TEACH. And by the way, what is it makes you want to take up teaching? And what have you been doing before?"

Aubrey waved a languid hand.

"Oh I've done this and that" he said "I thought it was about time to settle down and it would suit me to be a Professor."

David did not sniff; he kept his tongue firmly held too and nodded to Filius.

Filius Flitwick gave Aubrey a thorough viva voce; and then Aubrey was let loose on his class. To do him credit he did not seem to turn a hair at the non humans in the class but it was apparent that if one of his class 'just didn't GET' some principle he ignored them. David did not have to ask the opinion of his little blood siblings; it was decidedly negative. He asked Aubrey Aubrey to wait while other candidates were interviewed; and clenched his teeth together at the man's comment that it hardly seemed worth his while bothering with the rest.

"Him only if the rest are lame-brained or child molesters" David said to Filius when the man had left.

"Dear me, Aubrey IS rather fond of himself; time had dulled what a very irritating boy he was" squeaked little Flitwick "And NOT actually as clever as he thinks himself, not by any means, no. I fear Lilith could make a fool of him very easily and Lilith claims that charms is not her thing."

"Which as she's taking it to NEWT this year and she'll be only thirteen….." said David. "Not to mention her smooth opening of a Gate to New Zealand."

Filius chuckled.

"Oh I have every intention on putting money on Lilith managing to get herself into the Goblet of Fire next September" he said. "That child is infinitely resourceful. And so VERY able."

"Look at the little tyke boasting that the rest need not bother" said David, crossly, peering into his view-o-sneak. "Who's next?"

"Adela Hipworth; Hufflepuff" said Filius, not sounding very encouraging "The one with the infants."

Ellie had taken away the two small children to play with her own so that Madam Hipworth had more freedom to interact with the other adults. She was chatting to Hugh Hullit when David sent Tarri, the Headmaster's elf, to collect her.

"Do sit down, Madam Hipworth" said David "And tell me why you would like to take up teaching."

"Oh dear, I'm afraid it's technically 'Miss'" said Adela Hipworth "Laurie was always meaning to get around to marry me but there were always more racing meetings; he was a professional broomstick racer you see; and he – he flew into a mountain in fog and was killed; so I need a job to support my children, and when this job was offered I thought it was quite providential; a job within my capabilities that ought too to be good fun."

"May I ask what your qualifications are?" asked David.

"I'm afraid I only have two NEWTs; Charms and Potions. But I have them at 'O'" said Adela. "Professor Snape mellowed somewhat in my last couple of years though he must have been terribly preoccupied and I really enjoyed both classes. But I think I could break things down into easy chunks; I recall comparing how Professor Flitwick was better at it than Professor Snape, though Professor Snape DID put in more effort later, and his vocabulary is so wide that he was able to find different ways to say the same thing. Because sometimes different words can help different people, can't they?"

"Oh quite so" said David "I counted myself very lucky to be Severus Snape's ward; I learned a lot in extra curricular chats about magical and potioneering theory that never made it to class lectures because for most people it was irrelevant; but it can actually help some students to know a few more of the mechanics behind what they are doing. I presume you've devoted the last few years to your – well he might as well be your husband, and my commiserations to you as well – and your children?"

"Yes Professor; but I have kept up with learned journals. I did not want to stagnate. Besides I do like reading some of the snippy comments by people like Madam Granger-Weasley and Professor Snape in the journals. I also read the children's magazines to my children and some of them have a selection of interesting er jinxes."

"How are your children coping with their bereavement?" asked David.

"Fortunately they are too young to really understand; Brian, my eldest, is only three and they're used to daddy being gone for long periods. They've asked when daddy's coming back and I've just said that I'm afraid he can't come home and left it at that" she sighed "I don't mean to mislead them but I think they think there's a 'can't come home yet' in there; but it's not something that they can really understand. But as they are used to not having him around, I imagine that his memory will just fade."

"Sad for you but probably easier for them" said David. "Well, after Professor Flitwick has asked you one or two technical questions, we can see if you find teaching as much fun as you hope; I have a class of volunteers."

Filius put Adela through her paces – she seemed quite at home answering – and then David took her through the gate to the classroom where the group were in a suspiciously quiet huddle.

"Attention please you little horrors; plot mischief on your own time" said Adela "I am here to teach you the colour change charm."

She explained clearly and well; and was patient with the obtuseness of the class until she fixed Salazar with a steely eye.

"Young man, you are having a laugh at my expense" she said "NOBODY is that confused; a muggle would have got it by now, and you are deliberately misunderstanding. Now let us see you do it properly or I fear I must set you lines."

Salazar grinned and set his rat – they all had been provided with rats for the lesson – flashing in different colours that changed all along the length.

"Salazar WOULD" groaned Filius "That's a FAR more complex spell than a simple colour change, WAY out of his age's capabilities; "SALAZAR!" he added sternly "Stop showing off!"

Salazar grinned unrepentantly and merely turned his rat a lurid fluorescent pink.

"Very commendable" said Madam Hipworth. "I suspect that you get bored with standard classes, Salazar; if I was teaching you, you would find yourself regularly in detention learning lists of spells to keep you occupied; and if you were diligent about your detentions, they would be interesting ones like the ones in the childrens' magazines I know."

Tarquin raised his hand.

"Please Madam Hipworth, I think we probably submitted most of them" he said. "Because we all read 'Roonil Wazlib's Wizkid Weekly' that Weasley's Wizard Wheezes publish."

"I might have guessed" muttered David "I must see if we can have a copy delivered for the library. That was the name the twins' ruddy spelling pen changed Ron to when he wrote it in his books; they had NOT perfected it!"

"I was prejudiced against a Hufflepuff but I have to say she seems fairly ideal" said Filus after Adela had been asked to wait outside.

"I agree; we'll see the rest and check, of course; but I rather fancy she's going to be the one" said David.

oOoOo

Hugh Hullit was next.

"Long time no see" he said, shaking hands affectionately with David.

"Hugh, would you be able to work under me as we were classmates, if you were a successful candidate?" asked David. Hugh considered.

"Well as you were ever a leader and if you said jump we hit the air shouting 'how high' I shouldn't think it would be a problem" he said. David nodded.

"Good. Why do you want to teach at Hogwarts?"

"Because I'm in a job that I'm not happy in and I thought it would be rather jolly to work alongside you" he said.

"What are you doing?" David was curious.

"I'm in the Improper Use of Magic Office; it has its moments but it's mostly about dealing with muggle toilets charmed to flush the wrong way, and removing bits of splinched wizard – and other things – from inconvenient places. The worst was a sixty foot crocodile in a drain. Some cretin had overdone the engorgio spell, I presume to frighten muggle drain workers, and the poor critter had become lodged and drowned in flood water. We had to cut it into ten foot lengths with the severing charm and I bet, Sir" he added to Filius "You've never hovered the tail of a croc with '_mobilocaudaxreptans'_ before which was about the best I could come up with."

"Ingenious" said Filius "NICE lateral thinking. No, it's not something I have ever been involved in I have to say."

"You're very good Hugh; as I acknowledge" said David "But how good are you at breaking down what you know into small parts to teach it? Have you ever taught anyone?"

"I've gone through stuff with new oiks in the office" said Hugh.

"So you've explained something three times and your student still doesn't get it; what then?" asked David.

"Stick my head in a cupboard to scream I guess. Ah, I see; I'd find some office junior a different task if they couldn't get what I was trying to explain; you can't do that with kids. I take the point, David; I shan't be any good at the job because I really DON'T have that level of patience. Sorry; it was a nice thought but I'd be a fool not to back out and stop wasting your time."

"A moment Hugh" said David "Have you ever worked with muggle stuff?"

"I've liaised with the muggle office to unjinx telephone booths; there's less of them these days, I suppose muggles get sick of them being jinxed…. No, it isn't that, most muggles carry little portable ones like you used to have to see everyone onto the train and talk to helpful muggles" he added.

"Precisely" said David "Are you game to learn how to deal with computers? It's a lot easier than Arithmancy."

"Well as Arithmancy and I parted company long ago that's just as well" grinned Hugh "I could give it a shot; why?"

"What with Lucius dragooning me onto the council AND into his cabinet as well as being headmaster I feel as though I'm wearing rather a lot of hats; and I need a secretary with knowledge of both worlds to run the school web site – where the information is that makes it look like an ordinary posh muggle school – and just keep me informed of what I NEED to know" said David. "Are you up for learning? It may not pay as much as your ministry post but you'd have full bed and board."

"You jest – of COURSE I'm up for it!" said Hugh. "Anything I can do to help you! Besides it's got to be more interesting – and less smelly – than extracting bits of crocodile though drains before the muggle workers wake up and get down there. I work mostly nights at the moment; and I like my late nights but not when they go on until five o'clock in the morning. When do I start?"

"Stay over night and I'll start teaching you and then it's right away!" laughed David.

"I'll send them an owl to say I quit," said Hugh, with enthusiasm.

oOoOo

Next was a Slytherin called Vespasian Jugson who was from the Ministry of Education; the oldest one David had seen so far, being in his forties.

"Why do you want to teach?" David asked his standard question.

"Because it's required in order to rise in the ministry; and I think that the Ministry of Education needs people able to rise to give it a thorough overhaul" said Jugson. "At the moment it's used as the step before getting sent to the centaur office; I got sent there for making too many waves."

"Would you mind telling me about the waves you made?" asked David.

Jugson shrugged.

"No I guess not" he said "I was in the elf reassignment office; and it struck me that although plenty of elves were snivelling creatures in need of belonging to somebody to make them feel needed, plenty of others could have been taught how to be free and to use the immense power they all have sensibly and for the common good in proper jobs rather than wasting it waiting hand and foot on lazy fat creeps who ought to learn to stir their own bone idle limbs occasionally. I except people like Mr Malfoy who works hard and who has his elves as cooking and cleaning staff, like Hogwarts, but there are some who just fritter away the talents of their elves."

David found himself more and more interested in this relative of a deatheater.

"You would say that you are not racist then?" he said.

"I try not to be; I dislike goblins. It's a matter of aesthetics though and I try not to let it affect me. If they'll only look me in the eye I have less problems, though I dislike shaking hands; I don't like their fingers."

"Honest enough" said David "And the point of education is to teach goblins too that they CAN meet anyone in the eye, not have to slink around looking humble. And all of the free elves in education walk tall too."

"Good" said Jugson "I wanted to free many of those elves who were supposed to be reassigned, but I wasn't allowed to, and certainly not to use any budget to teach them how to be free. I abused my position by assigning the most initiative filled one to myself; I haven't freed him. He has more protection as my slave, which is ridiculous."

"Quite" said David. "And I honour your intent to rise and work on improving the ministry; it needs it."

"It seems a bit of an insolence applying for just the year" said Jugson "But I think I could teach; I should have liked to have done something teaching with music, but I'm not bad at charms; Professor Flitwick might recall my impromptu lavatory concert."

"Dear me yes; every pan playing a different instrument; very nicely organised" said Filius.

"Well I have to say we have a candidate in mind for the charms post" said David "But I do have a proposal to make; our chanting teacher is having to cope with classes of over fifty on his own. If you would work with him and maybe take out small groups either of remedial or more advanced musical students I think he would be well pleased to have some help. I'd like to test you teaching our small group of volunteer students first though."

"I'd be glad to; and frankly, Headmaster, that sounds more to my tastes in any case" said Jugson.

David took him through and introduced him; and Jugson soon had the class whistling a charm to mimic the levitating charm on tennis balls. Naturally it was Tarquin who used the little tune from 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' to make HIS tennis ball glow with lights. David sent an elf to find Tony Queach and apparate him to the school and left him and Vespasian Jugson to get on with it.

Augusta Thicknesse lasted exactly one and a half minutes into the interview expressing her view that of course she did not WANT to teach but if keeping brats subdued for a year to be able to pursue serious ambitions in a real job was what it took, she would do it and the headmaster would learn a few lessons in real disCIPline and dirty little jumped up slave elves would just have to learn their places. Her family, she said proudly, had ALWAYS worked in the ministry, trying to prevent excess disturbance of the status quo.

Filius snapped his fingers for a Hogwarts elf while David was still speechless with fury.

"Elf, pray escort Madam Thicknesse off the premises; see her ALL the way down the drive and out of the gate" he said.

"Yes Professor!" said the elf.

It may be said that after Augusta Thicknesse had left protesting both David and Filius ran to the window, David offering the Charms Professor the use of his telescope and using his own powerful field glasses to watch her cross the bog of very long lasting stench; and Filius cast a charm to enable them to hear perfectly. Thicknesse was NOT happy; and was trying to tell the elf that Timothy Gregory had brought the ministry contingent across country from the station and she would prefer to return that way; the elf pointing out that elves had to obey orders, and his had been specific. The smugness in the elf's tone had David and Filius both howling with laughter. So did the horrid farting noises as Thicknesse minced across and the elf took very solid flying leaps from stone to stone.

"QUITE as bad as her uncle Pius" said Filius.

oOoOo

Primula Toots was another dead loss; though David was gentle and kind with her. A Hufflepuff, widowed and childless, she thought teaching might be 'quaite naice'. David gently pointed out the japes that children pull might be a little wearing for someone not used to children since 'egregious little horrors' was often a more accurate description than 'dear little darlings' and not even Chrysogon Rufus was not sweet and blameless and had sat many an impot last year at least when he and his friends had set up gates to randomly redistribute people around the castle. This had seriously upset poor Madam Toots. As she was very fond of gardening David suggested that she might be happier working part time in a plant nursery instead; and she had agreed fervently and left hurriedly in relief that she had not been faced with the AWFUL FATE of 'THE CHILD' en masse.

And Filius and David went down to those waiting – which was in fact only Aubrey Aubrey and Adela Hipworth as Hugh had gone to find Ellie and Vespasian was chatting with Tony – to tell them that it was Madam Hipworth who was being offered the job.

"Are you mad?" said Aubrey "Why, she's only a Hufflepuff; and if you're offering it to her out of pity because she has two brats, why you'll regret it; women are soppy about their own children and she'll neglect her duties!"

"You know absolutely nothing!" said Adela "My children will be cared for here so I CAN give my time to my duties!"

"Mr Aubrey" said David coldly "I find your offensive remarks about married teachers like my wife, who has NEVER neglected her duties, rather irritating. The choice has been made out of all the candidates on the merits of the teachers; NOT on any other grounds. I do not consider you much of a teacher; you ignored those children who did not seem to be getting the point, which is the mark of a very poor teacher. Your rudeness now confirms my decision that you would be a poor role model for children. Please leave."

"You will regret it! When she's URK!" David had twitched a hand and suspended him from one ankle. He released him immediately to fall in a heap.

"Mr Aubrey; I suggest you say no more. I am already irritated by you; the last time I got more than irritated it was over Odessa attacks on Prince Peak School; when we wiped out all the storm-wizards. I think you should leave, NOW."

Aubrey left; the zig-zag scar was blazing on David's forehead, reminding him exactly who David Fraser was. An elf, unasked, escorted him firmly across the bog of very long lasting stench with much glee.

oOoOo

David had a hot cup of tea before pressing on with the Defence Against the Dark Arts candidates with Remus; Filius having taken Adela to show her round the facilities and the enlarged Charms suite with second classroom for second stream pupils.

First of these candidates was Timothy Gregory.

David shook his hand.

"Gregory, may I say first that I'm really impressed that you had the balls to apply after the unpleasantness between us; even though we did more or less make it up" he said.

"It did take a bit of doing" admitted Timothy "But you're right; you can't be high in the Ministry of Education if you haven't taught, the same as not being able to inspect creatures if you don't have qualifications or at least experience in caring for them."

"Why the Ministry of Education?" asked David.

"Because I believe in promoting academe" said Gregory.

David nodded.

"A fair answer. Jugson is keen to overhaul the Ministry and improve it; would that be your aim?"

Gregory gave a short bark of mirthless laughter.

"Yes I suppose so; to stop it being the place that hopeless incompetents, drop-outs and weirdos get sent" he said. "I can't say that DADA would have been my first choice, but at least I can perform in that; my Charms theory is shaky."

"How would you deal with a situation" said Remus, leaning forward "Having discussed that the definition of dark creatures and hence dark wizards was intent, that a kid passes a remark that such-and-such a child must be a dark creature then for liking to cause hurt?"

"I guess… I guess I'd tick the kid off for facetiae" said Gregory "But by your face, sir, I'm guessing that's the wrong answer."

"A DADA teacher is in a unique position to pick up on the little clues that suggest incipient deatheater tendencies; or such things as a child made into a monster through being cursed – as has happened" said Remus.

"Then I'm fooling myself to think I could do that" said Gregory. "I beg pardon Fraser, Professor Lupin; I had no idea the job was so deep."

"It's something that has become part of the job as a safeguard against the RISE of dark arts" said David "And I think your attempt to teach to rise in the ministry is extremely commendable; and I'll do what I can on the grapevine to find you a temporary post before the beginning of term."

"Thanks" said Gregory "The problem is it would be unfair to offer a subject to one of the small free schools just for the year; I think there should be a special training school for those who want to taste being teachers as well as would-be ministry officials with some senior staff overseeing them; in an area where there isn't any kind of teaching facility so whatever the kids get has to be better than nothing. It's not as if the Ministry of Education didn't have a couple of million galleons stashed that never gets spent on anything."

"Put that proposal in writing, Gregory, and I'll take it personally to council and raise it" said David. "It's a brilliant idea; only for Merlin's sake NEVER let Augusta Thicknesse teach; she's a disaster! And write out officially just how much money there is too."

"I'll do that" said Gregory. "Thanks Fraser."

"No Tim; thank YOU" said David. "Best idea ever came out of a ministry man, and whilst that's not a high compliment in some respects, I DO appreciate such an idea!"

oOoOo

Wido Mordaunt sauntered in, grinned, shook hands and drawled,

"Bitten anyone lately, David?"

"Not very often" said David. "All right Wido, why DO you want to teach?"

"Because I think I'd be rather good at it because I haven't forgotten being a brat myself" said Wido "And frankly I was the happiest I've ever been at Hogwarts. I'm a good fighter against darkness – I was one of the first in the MSHG, which I hope is still going – so even dealing with creatures as dark as small children can't be too difficult."

David laughed.

"Oh the MSHG is still going strong" he said "At least you've no illusions about dear little kiddywinkies."

"Let me guess; the fluffy old dear" said Wido.

"That 'fluffy old dear' is a contemporary of me and Severus Snape, I'll have you know" said Remus mildly.

"Wouldn't guess it" said Wido "You and Prof Snape still have lives and look like you know how to enjoy them; I'm afraid that poor creature looked ready for one of Madam Sprout's compost heaps."

"You haven't got any less snide in your old age Wido" said David mildly "What ARE you doing at the moment?"

"I'm working in a Quaestor Office preparing writs and suing people; it's not exciting but my eczema banned me from being an auror because I flake easily and it's a ritual component" said Wido. "And it's getting worse because silly little people with silly little problems stress me out far worse than real stuff like fighting Fishface did."

"It sounds bizarre but actually I kind of understand that" said David. "I guess because we could DO something to fight Fishface - that's an euphemism for the creep I haven't heard in a while – and you can't really bang your client's and their opponent's heads together."

"Feel like it sometimes" grunted Wido. "Teaching, I guess I'd feel I was preparing another generation to stand up to bullies and dark wizards and getting the opportunity to instil some ideas in their heads about what a short step it is from selfishness to y'actual dark wizardry."

"That's a good point" said Remus. "How would you deal with a kid who suggested, with the definition of dark creatures having dark intent, that a fellow pupil was a dark creature?"

"I'd wonder if he was having a laugh and I'd watch both him and the one accused narrowly" said Wido "Maybe ask a few sarcastic questions of each to make them talk freely."

"You got the job" said Remus firmly. "So long as you show all right in the practical test with assorted brats."

"We do still have one to interview who's from the ministry" said David mildly.

"That's as maybe; I can WORK with Wido" said Remus. "If the other one is all right, Neville teaches DADA as well as being headmaster; he could stand aside for a year and assess Nott. Whom I recall as very self contained."

"All right" said David "You're the one with final say, Remus; let's just see how Wido does with our assorted just ex weevils."

Wido grinned and went into the class where his wand made a loud explosion and a lot of smoke.

"Now I have your attention you little horrors" he said "I accept that you're probably bored stiff with all the teaching you've endured today from the good and the bad, now you got the ugly and we're going to have a quiz so I know how much you know."

David looked at Remus and they both nodded.

"He'll work out just FINE" said David.

Wido returned from his brief lesson and David shook his hand.

"Welcome on board Professor Mordaunt" he said "Don't say anything to Nott; you'll stay to dinner?"

"Rather!" said Wido "LOADS to catch up on and I want to watch your brats in action and learn any new jinxes I don't know."

oOoOo

Theodore Nott was still rather scrawny and had the same rather closed look on his face.

"Nott" said David courteously "I recall you from school; you kept yourself to yourself. I wondered why you wanted to teach – and if it's to rise in the ministry that is as laudable a reason as any."

Nott flushed, opened and shut his mouth a few times and then said in a rush,

"Fraser, I don't really know WHAT I want to do; I - I've always had difficulty reading people and getting to know them; and I've been shunted to the Min of Ed because nobody else wants the son of deatheaters who died in the battle of Hogwarts. I'm not whining about that" he added sharply "I chose my path; that I despised and loathed everything Voldemort stood for and could not understand why my parents should virtually worship him and creep like house elves to kiss his robe; but I loved my parents so I would not join Harry's group because then I should have had to fight my parents. If I'd known that Snape was opposing him secretly, and Draco too I guess I might have asked them to help me help get my parents out of his thrall; but of course the whole point was that Snape could NOT be open about it – especially to the child of a deatheater. So I held aloof; and built myself an island. And I don't quite know why I'm pouring out my heart to you. Well yes I do; it's because you've got the same air about you as Dumbledore and if he'd ever had me in his office I guess I might have confided in him, but he was too taken up with Harry."

"That's about the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me" said David quietly "Well maybe I can help you off your island with a paddle and a canoe; because if you can't readily contact people, it could be because of a small imbalance in the brain which makes that difficult; often goes with brains and sensitivity. Severus Snape knows how to fix it without losing the advantages; and I think he's about the only person in the world that does, so I suggest one of the things you do is talk to him."

"I've not approached him because it smacked of desperation asking your old house head to help out" said Nott "But if it's a question of a MEDICAL problem I guess that's different. I sometimes wondered if I should ask Lucius Malfoy if he has any jobs going but I don't want to whine or creep; I don't know if I'd be any good teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts but I think it's important to do so to stop other Voldemorts rising, and to look for them in school when they're still young. He could have been stopped at so many points."

"He could" said Remus. "We had already picked a junior teacher but we wanted to see whether to pass your name on to Neville Longbottom to take a year from him at the Free School; but I'm not sure it's appropriate."

"Stay to dinner; and I'll talk to Lucius" said David. "You're far too clever to waste in the ministry….Merlin, that was a bit bitchy, but you know what I mean."

"I feel rather like Gurdap the Troll at times, if you've read the book" said Nott. David laughed.

"I have" he said. 'Gurdap in the Ministry' was an excellent satire, where the troll Gurdap is accidentally cursed into human form and finds out how stupid the ministry officials are when he takes a job there.

oOoOo

Lucius was almost screaming in delight at David through the mental link the Headmaster opened.

"Good all rounder? Wants to promote knowledge to prevent the rise of another Voldemort? I have just the job for him – I need an editor of the educational globes, one who has enough all round knowledge to know what to include and what can be left out….. and to put together programs for Wizarding Wireless Vision. I'm doing some of it myself with Grace and Charlotte helping and Finn hindering and if I can sic the whole lot onto a willing body I'd be delighted. I'll send a 'copter for him first thing in the morning, dear boy."

Theodore Nott was delighted when David outlined what Lucius wanted.

And David also asked Severus to drop by Malfoy Manor to look at the Asperger's problem he suspected Nott might have.

It had been a very busy day!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lucius was delighted to have a knowledgeable editor in Theodore Nott.

"It never occurred to me to approach your parents, Theodore" he said "I dared not talk to any other deatheaters about my realisation of what an idiot I had been; I didn't even tell Narcissa until Draco was threatened."

Theodore shrugged.

"I have no doubt they would have denounced you anyhow" he said "They were besotted; and it would have given them more standing with their precious dark lord – especially as you were more or less in disgrace for failing at the Department of Mysteries, as I understand happened."

"Yes; I set up the other deatheaters to be arrested" said Lucius "In the hopes that Tom Riddle would himself be seen by impeccable sources that could not be ridiculed. And his supposedly loyal daughter rescued me so I'd not be arrested so he had to rely on me more. Once I found out how he controlled, by planting compulsions in the mind, and had mine removed…."

"Compulsions in the mind?" Theodore's face flared with something like relief "Then it wasn't wholly my parents being stupid?"

"No; it was part brainwashing and part compulsion, each playing off against the other" said Lucius. "He brain-raped a couple of generations; but I'm afraid finding and destroying his horcruces and killing him sort of took precedence over freeing others."

"I understand that sir" said Theodore. "And you had your own son to look out for; family is important. But I don't have to feel so much that my parents let me down if they were under compulsion. I can forgive them – and grieve properly."

Lucius put a hand on his shoulder.

"Take all the time you need; and be welcome to be my guest too if you like" he said "And start the job when you're ready."

"I'll take over the weekend if I may sir" said Theodore "Then I'll look forward to it."

Severus also spent long talking to Theodore Nott; and helping him to search himself and find more about himself with directed legilimensy. He thought that the inability to relate to people was more a question of a habit of withdrawing than actual Aspergers; and said so. Theodore was disappointed that there was no quick fix; but was grateful for the talks and help that Severus said, regretfully, he should have had with his housemaster long ago. And he settled in to work happily, feeling that at last he was wanted not tolerated in a job that was challenging and stimulating – and important.

oOoOo

Lucius enjoyed having a house full of guests for the summer, be they the young friends of his own children camping in the further reaches of his grounds – and nowhere near his beautifully manicured topiary-surrounded rose gardens, fountains and parterres. Camping parties were discreetly overlooked by elves to make sure nothing too exciting and of the wrong kind happened to the children – half drowning in streams, cuts, abrasions and falling out of trees hardly being worth a mention let alone bothering about – and left to get on with it. House guests received more care and attention. There were the regular guests of course; Randolph Wright for one, and Storm and Zephyra; and what Lucius referred to as an ever-flowing tide of Snapes, Changs and other Marauders. And the odd tiger of course. As well as the regular guests were those like Theodore Nott who needed a place to cure bruising to the soul; and the three German girls, Magda, Biirta and Gauda. Biirta half scared her friends by her quick and willing repartee with the Malfoys; sparring in word games brought her alive and – Lucius thought – made her lovelier than the beautiful Magda for the light in her eyes.

"How you DARE!" said Magda after Biirta had managed a complex piece of bilingual pun play over breakfast.

"Mr Malfoy enjoys it too" said Biirta "Didn't he say 'good girl!' when I managed that last quip?"

"I worry that you will put his back up and not perhaps be invited again – if any of us are going to be" said Magda. "You came perilously close to flirting with him."

Biirta flushed.

"I did not mean to do that" she said.

She was a little quiet; and it was Finn who asked her bluntly what the matter was.

Biirta shrugged.

"Magda said she thought I seemed to be flirting with Mr Malfoy, Madam Malfoy" she said.

"Oh for goodness sake! Call me Finn; I'm hardly any older than you" said Finn. "About two or three years is all. And believe me you weren't flirting; or only in the most acceptable of ways. Heh, we've seen most Unacceptable flirting from the predatory kind; and we girls hint them off and if they don't take a hint, find other ways. Like poisoning them with alihotsy – courtesy of Gorbrin – or making little fish appear still alive and flapping in their cleavage; which was one of mine to one Morgana Fairchild."

"Poor fish!" laughed Biirta.

"True; but it was in a good cause" said Finn. "We girls all get on; it's in the rules. We all have to agree to Lucius having another wife; I didn't even realise that Lucius knew I was a girl and that the girls had discussed him marrying me too almost a year before he actually invited me to be one of the Madams Malfoy. I was dressed as a boy; it's a long story. I'll tell you some time; maybe next summer hols if there are less things going on. We all have our own stories about getting with Lucius; and each time the girls he already had agreed." She grinned. "Apparently they informed him he was marrying me; because he was busy trying not to be too fond of me. Lucius loves women; he loves all of us. If there's ever another he'll love her equally; and we all love each other."

"You are rather wonderful and loveable ladies; I can see why you're so close" said Biirta. Finn smiled to herself. Biirta was as yet unaware, she thought, just what her feelings might be; but Finn had a shrewd idea that she was more aware of Lucius than she realised. And Lucius certainly liked her. Well, what happened, happened; Biirta had two more years of schooling yet, unfair to interrupt that. Then? Then what would be, would be. And so long as she knew the ground rules well in advance, she would know how to fit in.

Narcissa had apparently noticed too.

"Well, Lucius, I presume our fifth member is to be treated with circumspection until she leaves school?" she said.

Lucius blinked.

"She's rather young; I was expecting her to forget all about any mild feelings she might be getting" he said, not bothering to deny that he had noticed Biirta. "I thought avuncular interest would be far more proper."

"Oh yes; and either she'll grow out of a crush or she won't" said Narcissa. "A couple of years is long enough to test that thoroughly. She fits in rather nicely; wicked tongue on her."

"I rather like the way you use yours too my darling" grinned Lucius. Narcissa gave a wicked gurgle of laughter and that conversation ground to a halt.

Biirta took Finn's tacit advice and did not stop enjoying verbal fencing; and it was not only Lucius who joined in anyway, but the whole family, and Randolph Wright too, who had fitted into the cheerful insouciance of the Malfoy household, only blushing to be introduced as 'the eminent artist, Randolph Wright'. Randolph did not mind that Erica and Ming were honeymooning somewhere quiet and anonymous; he was friends with all the family, not just the ones who were artists. He did however spend a lot of time with little Veronika, which meant he came into contact with Gauda who had known her in the orphanage; since any goblin was counted all goblin and Veronika was a half breed. And having been raised by a human mother must have found it terrifying to be thrust in with goblins. Gauda had been one of those girls seconded into childcare; and she was delighted to see Veronika so happy and settled and busy forgetting that there had been a time when she had not been a Malfoy. And Randolph chatted too to Gauda, Magda and Biirta about what it was like at Prince Peak; and they told him about Schloss Adler and the hard grind to learn enough just to pass the ZAP, the Zauberkunst Allgemein Prüfung, the equivalent to the English DOE; and how, having some ZP's, the equivalent to OWLs, they were to go on to ZH, beyond their wildest dreams a year ago.

"And I ride too and meet people I should never have dreamed of meeting; and through that here we are staying with the second most famous wizard in the world!" declared Magda.

"Isn't that notorious?" laughed Randolph. "Don't scowl at me girls; I love Lucius like a spare uncle and he's offered me a home with him whenever I want one. I only tease BECAUSE I love him so well."

"You are a very self confident young man, Herr Wright, to be able to speak of love without self consciousness" said Gauda.

Randolph shrugged.

"I guess it's because our headmaster is free with the word; because he believes in the power of love, any kind of love, as the oldest and most powerful form of magic" he said "Which it is; and I'm jolly glad you girls don't do prurient giggling and automatically assume all mention of love means the romantic kind. And I say, please don't call me Herr Wright; it makes me feel fat, bald and fifty and I'm only seventeen. Another year of school for me! Then I shall be a full time artist and photographer for a few years, and act as a part time artistic adviser and director for Wizarding Wireless Vision for Lucius and then I might teach for a while and if I do I shall have to be used to being a Herr Professor; but not until then!"

They laughed at his face of comic dismay!

The holidays drew to a close all too soon and various guests dissipated to their proper places.

oOoOo

The Malfoy Children, in care of Lucius – because he enjoyed it – went up to London to Diagon Alley on the Muggle train because it was more exciting. They were to stay overnight in Orme Court with Avice and Alienora and all go on the Hogwarts Express together. Penelope was reading the first issue of 'Sparkle'.

"HOW can you read that pap?" asked Drogo.

"Because I want to see how well Kordach handled the wedding in case dad has to lean on him; and because it sort of behoves us to keep abreast with what crap other people are writing in other mags" said Penelope calmly. "It IS a rag; but it's mostly harmless. It isn't illegal, immoral or fattening – unless you eat too many of the sausage rolls made to the traditional recipe handed down by the elves of the Malfoy family that Kordach wheedled out of Lala. And it has redeeming social value."

"Eh? Run that by me again" said Varjak.

"It's a useful organ of propaganda if dad needs it to be with Kordach's co-operation" said Penelope.

"Hmm, well it looks as though I have one offspring who'll be ready to take on control of one or more of my papers one day" said Lucius "Quite right, Penny. How DID he handle the wedding?"

"Very well actually" said Penny "Not too much blurb except a mention of the second most famous goblin in the world – Kinat is I guess the most famous – who, with his young bride and one of the other grooms will go on to Auror Training for which his eight 'O' grade NEWTs more than qualify him, scorning to live a life of ease and luxury as any Malfoy might do but following in the tradition set by his older brother of public service. He manages to make it sound uplifting without creeping; he's rather good actually, or his caption writers are. Nice photos. A lovely group pic of all us younger ones as bridesmaids; the little ones all look really cute. He had some fellow who knows muggle sleight of hand doing tricks for the little ones to keep their attention; it's why they look so solemn and delighted both at once. He knows his stuff."

"Apparently" said Lucius.

"I suppose it's a change from Penny reading nothing but 'Equusvolens' and 'Flying Horse and Rider'" said Drogo. "I am glad; I was afraid she was going to do Arithmancy by stamping her hooves the right number of times for the answer."

It was as well there were as yet no muggles in the carriage with the young people as Drogo had to return himself to his normal colour and remove the boils.

oOoOo

"I hope you're not going to embarrass us by carrying that magazine around when we're shopping" said Varjak disapprovingly.

"Oh I shall bin it" said Penelope, suiting deeds to words as they got off the train and passed through the station "I only bought it to see what was said about the wedding; not that Kordach was likely to be crass but, well, you know."

The young Malfoys swung along cheerfully, unaware that a young muggle girl looked enviously at them – and went to help herself to a magazine whose pictures she would have sworn were actually moving.

The family did rather turn heads; not for any conspicuous wizarding garb, but for the self confidence of all the children as well as the elegant looking man escorting them. Lucius always wore Armani suits in London when he was not going directly to Diagon Alley or the ministry; he just wore them with a cloak. In a pewter coloured brocade suit with black silk lapels he would turn heads at the best of times; the black velvet cloak that would have looked out of place on most people suited him so well it was hardly remarked upon.

The children wore at least some designer gear more or less as a matter of course; it often paid to buy quality, and most Snapes and Malfoys shopped at an eclectic mix of the Spiral, Armani, and Primark for play wear; the latter because kids grew out of clothes before they could wear it out and might as well have clothes they could get dirty in. The boys wore Armani jeans, Drogo in a Primark T-shirt with a dinosaur on it, and Varjak in a Spiral t-shirt declaring him to be a little devil. Penelope was in jodhpurs, boots and a Primark leopard print t-shirt. Somehow it worked.

And a small muggle girl was discovering that the pictures really DID move.

It was not too late to follow the children and their imposing looking father – if he was the father of all of them. One of the boys was smaller and slighter and somehow rather odd looking; he looked more like something you might find Brian Froud drawing with sharp features, a long nose and long hands and feet. Though he held himself like he was a king, like the others. Lucy Summerfield stuffed the magazine into her jeans' waistband – it would never go in her pocket – under her t-shirt where it would not be seen OR get lost. She was glad she had bought a week's season ticket to go about London; that way she would not have to worry about buying a ticket to keep up with them if they changed stations.

They were taking the circle line; and she heard the blonde boy say that they needed King's Cross to change for the Piccadilly line. Good, if she temporarily lost them that would help. The stations where multiple tube lines met could be labyrinthine and tortuous. They were nice words, labyrinthine AND tortuous. The three children were bickering as they waited for the tube but it seemed a friendly sort of argument; and now the man cuffed them with two fingers across the backs of their heads; not hard just to register his disapproval. How nice it must be to have a dad who did no more than that! Dad got so cross so easily! Why they laughed up at him, and the girl squeezed his arm! She looked jolly, if rather horsy; Lucy did not like animals much. She would not want anyone to hurt animals but her mum worked part time as a kennel maid and the smell on her could be offensive. Quickly she got on the train with her quarry; taking the carriage next to theirs. Really she could not say exactly WHY she was following them; save that people who had, and casually threw away, magazines which had pictures moving in them had to be interesting people. And they attracted her somehow. And going off following people just because was an adventure; and Lucy longed for adventures, and pretty soon her life would be full of the wrong sort of excitement when she started Dour Hill Comprehensive and would probably be bullied because she actually liked lessons. She had been bullied at primary school after all, though the last two years she had been big enough to avoid too much hassle, and had found that she could manage to give people an electric shock too just by willing it. Which was handy, and presumably something to do with living right on top of a substation.

She glanced round the carriage. There was a young couple necking in one corner and a businessman deep in the 'Guardian' and a young family barely under control of their parents; it was not a busy time of day, no commuters on a Saturday and most shoppers and sight seers not yet hit London. She sneaked her magazine out to have another look. It fell open fairly naturally at the central spread; which looked to be wedding photos, in odd sorts of clothes but somehow pleasing, all the brides in the same style. And a photo of bridesmaids, one of whom was the girl in Jodhpurs, looking very pretty in a dress or whatever you might call it. The caption was 'The Weddings of the Year; Mr Lucius Malfoy hosts this year's society weddings alongside his son Gorbrin's marriage to Meliandra Bulstrode and his daughter Erica's marriage to Mr Ming Chang. Also married, Mr Kordach's daughter Anastasia to Mr Jordan Christie (a scion of a cadet branch of the Black family) and Jazka gan Tokar to Mr Jardak gan Torlo, oldest son of Mr Torlo. The collective families managed a wide range of bridesmaids most of whom will doubtless be married in their turn out of Malfoy Manor. And Good Luck to Mr Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak, Madam Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak and Mr Christie in their training as Aurors."

It was a society magazine; the girl in jodhpurs had doubtless just picked it up to see their family pictures, which was why she had chucked it; she had the proper pictures at home. Mr Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak looked like the smaller boy with the blonde man and children; long nose, arrogant look and those, well, goblinoid features. And he had a double-barrelled name; and the ones with odd looks had too odd names. So they were goblins? Perhaps Gorbrin was a stepson or adopted and so was this other kid. After all Gorbrin married a human woman, admittedly not as beautiful as the other two human women but striking. And a kid with lank black hair and coal-black eyes and rather a long nose herself could not really talk about beautiful. There was a picture of Mr Malfoy too; and he was the dad just travelling on the train with three kids as though he didn't have a beautiful house – there were pictures – with pearlescent peacocks wandering about the picture. He was in some sort of a robe too in the photo; but he looked rather splendid in it.

And then she was stuffing the magazine away because they were at King's Cross and had to change; and the goblin boy – if that was what he was – was saying,

"Just think, dad, we'll be coming back to this station – well the overground bit – to be off to school the day after tomorrow! I can hardly wait!"

So he was the boy's father – or at least the kid thought of him as such. Off to school? Lucy frowned. Would that be boarding school? They were certainly posh enough. She thrust back a lock of her curtain of hair and followed doggedly. They had not mentioned where they were supposed to get off. This time she got in the same carriage as them. The three children looked at her curiously. Lucy wondered if she dared say hello; but Mr Malfoy smiled austerely at her and spoke first.

"Hello youngster, you have a look of the Prince family; are you off to Diagon Alley too?" asked Mr Malfoy.

"Yes Mr Malfoy" said Lucy firmly.

"I'm surprised Severus never mentioned you; and that you don't have a Snape of some description as an escort" said Lucius. "My good kid, you haven't a clue who I'm talking about; though you know MY name. Which is an advantage you have over me."

"I'm Lucy Summerfield" said Lucy. She burned red "And I read your name in a magazine and I followed you" she added in a rush "Because I wanted an adventure"

"I say that IS enterprising" said Drogo "I'm Drogo, my brother Varjak and my sister Penny."

Lucius and offspring shook hands with Lucy.

"Please, are you a goblin and does that mean you're adopted?" she said to Varjak.

"I am and I'm dad's stepson" said Varjak. "Dad is greedy; he has four wives, which means we have four mums which is nice when you need cosseting and not so good when you're in hot water over something."

"Penny" said Lucius "You left your rag – er, mag – showing, didn't you?"

"Well it never occurred to me anyone would look close enough to filch it out of the bin; most muggles kind of pass over seeing the moving pictures" said Penny.

"I though they were wonderful!" said Lucy "And you look so pretty in that dress!"

"Oh fancy gowns are all right once in a while I suppose" said Penny. "ARE you a Prince?"

"No, I'm just a working class girl" said Lucy.

"It's a family name in….hold on" said Lucius "We'll go for a cup of tea when we get off; next stop."

oOoOo

Shortly thereafter in a Subway café they were sitting down with a pot of tea and milkshakes for the children and Lucius twisted the knob of his cane and withdrew….well Lucy had to say, it looked like a wand. He made a few complex passes and replaced it.

"We shan't be interrupted now; or even noticed" he said. "Prince is a family name in the wizarding world; Snape is a branch of it and Severus Snape is my oldest friend and one of the best. He's been tracking down the offspring of his obnoxious uncle Crassus; who scattered his seed far and wide. You resemble Severus very closely; I had to look twice to check you weren't Willow Prince Black."

"Black is another important family, isn't it?" asked Lucy "Or it wouldn't have been worth mentioning that Mr Jordan Christie was a whatever the word was that means part of it."

"I believe the word 'scion' was used; it's a little archaic, but we of the wizarding world are" said Lucius "It means a branch or offshoot; properly it is botanical in use but is also used in genealogy. You like words, don't you? I can see you drinking that up the way Sev used to when he was a junior."

Lucy nodded vigorously.

"I love words and lessons and I really don't want to go to Dour Hill because I so will get beaten up for being a swot" she said.

"But my dear child, if you can see goblins as goblins, you're not going to this er, Dour Hill" said Lucius "If you're not actually a witch, you're plainly interested in knowing more about our world and should go to Rowan House where the muggle relatives of muggleborn witches and wizards go. Because the, er, genes don't always express in every child in a family" he added. "And if you ARE a witch, then of course you'll go to Hogwarts with my children."

"I DID mention that I'm working class, Mr Malfoy" said Lucy with what she hoped was dignity, trying not to cry that something so wonderful was waved at her and must be snatched away "We aren't the sort that go to posh boarding schools; my dad is a brickie and my mum is a kennel maid."

"My dear child, nothing wrong with trying for a scholarship" said Lucius. "Besides, if you ARE of Prince blood there's family money to send you. Though I imagine you might end up in Rowan – where you could, if you live in London, go as a day pupil if you preferred, or a weekly boarder – because you haven't appeared on the registry of magically active."

"IS it magic that lets me electric shock bullies and not the electricity from living next to a substation then?" asked Lucy.

Lucius stared.

"Yes" he said "And the substation that blocked the magic so your parents have never been approached…..DAMN the ministry! The office of Electrical Interference has NEVER been so efficient since Severus stole Hermione to teach Arithmancy; I shall be delivering a metaphorical – and possibly actual – boot up someone's rear end! The whole POINT of an office of Electrical Interference is to check that children like you do NOT get missed and DO get the chance to try for scholarships! Excuse me; I do not draw wand on you to threaten but to check" and he got his wand out of the ebony cane again and muttered "_specialis revellio"_ to himself. Coloured lines sprang from Lucy to the wand. "Ah, as I thought" said Lucius "A definite Prince; I'd say a half sibling to all of Crassus' other offspring; and didn't show up to Severus' findings because of the wretched sub-station. Unless your father looks like this, I suspect your mum might have had an affair" he added, drawing the flat of his hand down before her and leaving the image of a sallow, dark-haired man with a hooked nose hanging in the air.

"My dad doesn't look in the least like that" she said. "I – oh. Is that why he sometimes calls me a cuckoo when he beats me? Because cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds' nests, don't they? Not that I know what a cuckoo looks like but I've read it in books" she added.

"Ah" said Lucius "I very much fear that this may be so. I despise men who beat children; or women. Does he beat your mother too?"

"Yes, but she screeches back at him and threatens to throw his food out of the window or empty a kettle over him" said Lucy "It's why I like to spend the weekends out of the house, the ones mum isn't working at that horrid kennels."

"Why is it horrid?" asked Drogo.

"Because dogs stink" said Lucy.

"Not well cared for ones" said Drogo "Unless you think WE stink?"

"No!" said Lucy "Why, do you have a dog?"

"We have about a dozen" said Drogo. "Big huffy soft creatures; not horrid yappy little things. Dad would never have crups; they're horrid. But he does breed pure white nogtail-hunting hounds because the ministry likes there to be a wide genepool as they're so useful – nogtails are serious magical pests and only white hounds scare them so the ministry of magic likes to be able to lay its hands on white hounds when a nuisance is reported" he added.

"I also keep flying horses; but I don't get the impression that you're very horsy" said Lucius dryly.

"I'm not a huge animal lover" said Lucy "Sorry."

"Oh don't worry about it; you can pick to do Herbology as a compulsory core subject instead from this year" said Lucius "You'll do half a term taster with animals but you can drop that. Or not if you get a taste for it after all."

"I'll be dropping it" said Varjak "I like plants better"

"Well they don't have teeth" said Lucy. Varjak stared.

"Whatever gave you THAT idea?" he said "Fanged geraniums do, for starters! And Snargaluff are plain EVIL but they don't get to be on the curriculum until NEWTs – Nastily Exhausting WIzarding Tests you now."

"You would call them 'A' levels" said Lucius tranquilly. "Well according to your Malfoy lines – that's your heritance shown by the Revellaspell as described and quantified by my brother Vladimir – you have more than enough magic to qualify for Hogwarts as well as being eligible to a slice of the Prince money. Severus is almost as rich as me so he'll sort that out, and I'll extend a loan in the meantime to get you kitted out. If you want to be a witch?"

"WANT? Of COURSE I want to!" Lucy cried, her black eyes glittering. "Only will my parents let me?"

"Your mother's husband really has no say in it" said Lucius. "And I have no doubt I can arrange matters. How long will it be before they miss you?"

"Bed time I should think" shrugged Lucy "They were enjoying themselves throwing things at each other when I left; and actually I left a note because I was running away."

"Ah; easy to arrange" said Lucius. "You found your REAL father's people; they want you to go to the family school and are taking care of everything, which is true enough; Severus IS like a brother to me though I'd cheerfully wring your biological father's neck if I ever met him; he went rather into seclusion however since Severus jinxed him to stop him procreating willy-nilly. With luck he's died. Still, if you were running away I suspect that you won't mind not going back? Your parents don't sound like they actually want you or they'd have behaved a bit better."

"I don't think they do; my big sister – she's ten years older than me – gets their attention and they're all right to her; I suppose dad resents me being a cuckoo and mum resents me making things worse between them" said Lucy. "Sylvia's decent to me but she's so old. And I guess when she was still living at home it wasn't so bad; but she went to college full time three years ago and they've done nothing but quarrel since. Before that they just kind of ignored each other and dad mostly ignored me unless he was drunk, when he clouted me, but you learn to stay out of the way, don't you?"

"Fortunately for them, none of my children know about that" said Lucius "But Severus would sympathise; his father was violent and a bully. Well, we'll register you under the name of Lucy Prince; you might as well have the prestige of the old and respected name. There's almost as many Snapes and Princes as there are Malfoys, mind; your cousin Richard will also be in your year. You'll meet him tomorrow, don't worry; we're staying overnight with my brother Casimir, who lives in the Great Wen, next to the Snapes' English house. Severus is headmaster of a school in Austria; and if you're musical or artistic you might prefer to go there, it's a school for high flyers and talented. All the Snape brats qualify for that in spades, but Severus likes his children to be in a different school to the one he teaches. And they thrive regardless, even in a huge place like Hogwarts."

"I – I think I want to be with Drogo and Varjak and Penny" said Lucy "Though a big school IS scary."

"Yes; numbers are picking up now people started breeding again after old Voldy got Mouldy" said Drogo "We had a wizarding war" he added "I'll fill you in later. But there's supposed to be more than fifty in this year, which is why we're to be spilt in most of the classes and do half a term each of tasters and take sort of electives earlier than usual. Of course, that'll still be eleven subjects until we decide on real electives and not everyone's clever enough to take eleven OWLs – Ordinary Wizarding Levels that is – and most people take nine. Richard will take eleven if he doesn't take twelve; Snapes are like that."

"Forgetting that our Gorbrin left with eight NEWTs all at top grade, twice as many as most people manage" said Penny.

"Well Gorbrin's exceptional" said Drogo with a wave of the hand "Even Draco only took five in the end, enough to be an Auror and no more. Six and more – apart from our revered headmaster who WAS uncle Severus' ward anyway and so contaminated with excess academe – is the province of people who have the surname Snape or Chang or who go to Uncle Severus' school in the Alps for overly clever people, geniuses and oddalls."

"Brat" said Lucius "Have you forgotten that your sister and brother-in-law are teaching there from Monday?"

Drogo grinned.

"But Erica and Ming are too geniuses in their own way" he said. "Are we going shopping for kit now? We'll miss all the crowd if we hang around much longer and we know that Lucy's a witch and we're sort of kidnapping her a little it and it's in your capable hands so we can tell her histories and stuff later and Florian Fortescue's ice cream is waiting for us when we finish and soonest started soonest finished."

He came up for air.

Lucius rose.

"Well if we're all ready….don't worry Lucy; leave it in my hands" he said.

"All right Mr Malfoy" said Lucy.

"My dear child, if you're going to be a ward of the Snapes as a Prince, you had better call me Uncle Lucius" he said. "Especially if you are going to be friends with my reprobate brats, and spend half your holidays at Malfoy Manor jinxing my house guests and annoying the peacocks like half the other children who more or less live with us!" the smile meant he was not complaining; not really, and Lucy smiled shyly back.

"Thank you uncle Lucius" she said. If Hogwarts was considered a large school with a yearly intake of only fifty or so, then the wizarding world was very different; and it would not be in the least like a comprehensive school!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

At Diagon Alley – accessed by going through a pokey bar and into an alley behind and pushing certain bricks – Lucy was quickly introduced to Glasbhinn Green and Meadh Brown and sundry older Malfoys who were some of them almost grown up, in the care of Ian Malfoy and Bella Black.

"Was it fun on the trains?" asked Glasbhinn "I am sick our mums vetoed us coming by muggle transport, I was sure it wouldn't be dangerous."

"It isn't" said Drogo shortly "But I guess your mum and Meabh's are scared of muggles. This here is Lucy and if the rest of you approve I rather think she's Marauder material."

"Well the Snapes and Moodys are around; why don't we go find them?" said Glasbhinn. "Teddy will be along soon and I guess he'll run with the opinion of everyone else."

"WAIT one" said Lucius "I'LL find Severus and family and explain matters if you don't mind; or even if you do. You weevils had better come with me; the rest of you disperse and get your stuff. And as we're missing Timothy and Stuart I presume they already went off to find their cronies; yes, Bella, you and Tim can shed your younger siblings and do your own thing, TRY the lot of you not to get into too much trouble."

Giggling children departed leaving the two fey girls and the other first years and Lucy.

Lucius strode purposefully with his little group in his wake and ran into the tall, dark, scarred man leaving a shop selling cauldrons – JUST like storybook witches used – who was so like Lucy that she stared.

The man himself did a double take.

Lucius quickly explained the situation.

"Mmmm" said Severus. "Well young lady, I'd better be your uncle Severus for now and if you don't want to live with your mother, one more reprobate in the family won't make a whole lot of difference. I have enough room for you" he added kindly in explanation "Both in my London house and in Austria where we spend a lot of time. I'll see her parents, Lucius; it's my awful uncle and my responsibility."

"Cutting it fine; you have to get ready to be off to Prince Peak for Monday" said Lucius.

"So I shall see them tomorrow" said Severus. "I know the type of her nominal father; he won't go to the police right away because they might ask awkward questions about why his daughter might run away, and that might get Social Services involved. Which will be something to threaten him with if need be. I'll get a document drawn up for him to sign abrogating any rights over her. And a bribe to 'cover the last ten years feeding and clothing another man's child'. Stick and carrot, Lucius. I can do it quite as well as you."

"Naturally; I taught you how" said Lucius. Severus laughed.

"And it comes naturally to Krait as a Malfoy born so I watched her and learned too" he said. "Don't worry, Lucy; we'll sort out things to make sure you get to go to school, even if I have to use spells to make your mother and her husband forget you ever existed."

"That might be rather good" said Lucy "But I do love mum, kind of, and I guess I even love dad – when he's not drunk and when he's not pissed with me."

"He'll be a lot less pissed with you when he knows you're the ward of a wealthy family who can do him good and whom he can touch for a loan from time to time that nobody duns him for when he doesn't pay it back" said Severus cynically. "Oh I can find it in me to pity the man; I know Lucius doesn't but if he's inarticulate and perhaps brighter than a lot of his workmates and afraid to show it because learning is sissy and he didn't get many qualifications because the muggle state education is crap then I can understand temper. My own father was the same; and though I hated him for a while I've got over it."

"He'd pay back any loan sir – Uncle Severus" said Lucy earnestly "He's no sponger."

Severus smiled.

"Then I wronged him, and I apologise; and I'm sure we'll be able to come to an arrangement without having to resort to magic" he said. "And your mother will be able to visit you when you're in London. I'll invite them to lunch tomorrow."

"Mum's at the Kennel until eleven" said Lucy.

"Ah; then I can convince your er dad to sign you away while she's out; and then let her know that you're safe" said Severus "I imagine that however well she loves you, boarding school WOULD stop you being a bone of contention in the marriage?"

"I guess so" said Lucy.

"Any mother that lets her kid get hit about and doesn't leave an abusive husband is a pretty poor mother" said Drogo.

"That's as maybe, son; but not all women are as strong as your various mothers" said Lucius. "And many people believe that having two parents is better regardless, even in an abusive relationship; and nobody ever bothers to ask their own children what THEY want."

"WE want things just as they are, dad" said Penny "And by the way, are you going to marry Magda's friend Biirta? I'd say she was pretty gone on you."

Lucius spluttered.

"You can't hide a THING from your kids, Lucius!" laughed Severus "Biirta Hess to be Madam Malfoy the fifth then? That'll spoil the symmetry of the girls' bridge nights."

"Not hardly" said Lucius "We get in Draco and Grace and if I play too it makes up two tables. Besides, that's the least thing to consider; and I'm not even thinking about it right now, she's too young. I leave worrying about who I might marry next to Narcissa."

"Well you can leave worrying about Lucy to me" said Severus. "And if I can park my Richard on you I'll go and sort out the paperwork – and the money in a muggle bank. Try not to irritate too many people and if possible, don't lose any brats."

"You get snider every year Severus!" laughed Lucius.

"More practise" said Severus.

oOoOo

The sleek, self satisfied looking man who stopped the children as they came out of the cauldron shop with their cauldrons – Richard had obligingly come back in with then to lecture them on good choices – smiled patronisingly.

"I see none of you children have bought the patent self-stirring cauldron" he said.

"I should jolly well think NOT sir!" said Richard "It's banned in all decent schools for a VERY good reason; well several very good reasons. It stops people learning how to do it properly and what's more it isn't even very accurate. It's a product for morons and those who read 'Witch Weekly' though I do repeat myself there. The inventor of it ought to be tarred and feathered for such a travesty to potioneering."

The sleek looking wizard looked angry.

"Young man, let me inform you that I am the one and only Gaspard Shingleton, inventor of the self-stirring cauldron!" he said.

"Ah? Well if I was you, Mr Shingleton, I'd not advertise it too loudly. My dad's about somewhere and he's Severus Snape and he's wanted to use the entrail expelling curse on you for years" said Richard "Or put you into one of your own cauldrons to be stirred to death. I wonder you have the cheek to approach innocent schoolchildren admitting to your perversions and if you don't leave us alone I shall get the girls to scream."

"We can too" said Rose "And MY dad's an Auror so if I was you I'd beat it."

"You are very insolent children!" said Shingleton.

"YOU are a very insolent and importunate fellow" drawled Drogo "He hasn't left; ready girls; one, two….."

Shingleton saw the intake of breath of four little girls and left hurriedly. He had a feeling that explaining why four little girls had screamed might be very difficult; especially as the blonde one and the second boy who had spoken looked frighteningly like Mr Lucius Malfoy who was leaving the shop and catching up with them.

He was NOT aware that his farts were due to fluoresce for the next few days and – since the Durmstrang Marauders had passed on their new jinxes too – to be noctilucent.

Lucy was in the process of being taught a selection of jinxes and the shield charm; and watched the casting with deep interest.

"I say, I've got him on famous wizard cards" said Drogo "I reckon now I've seen him I can twist the Protean Charm to make the picture fart fluorescent ones every time the real one breaks wind."

"I threw away that one" said Richard "There's collecting famous wizard cards and then there's feeling offended every time you look at them…. Mind you, if he's farting wildly I shan't mind so much if I get him again."

Varjak grinned.

"I say, if we do use the Protean charm, doesn't that mean we can get EVERY card anyone has to fart?" he said.

"Tricky" said Richard.

"Are you kids even THINKING of using the protean charm?" said Lucius, dismayed, hearing the last bit of conversation "It's a NEWT level spell!"

"It's what library work is for, dad" said Varjak "Mischief."

"I don't want to know" said Lucius hastily.

oOoOo

They saw Deirdre Tremlett with her father again and she made faces at Varjak.

"Funny thing" said Drogo, loudly to Lucy "How those who might be sneered at by real blood snobs – half-bloods say, the children of muggleborn – seem to feel that they have to make a lot of the fact that there are other races who used to be more despised than muggleborn. Some sort of inferiority complex I suppose because they haven't yet caught on that most people are more interested in what people DO not what their blood status is. The species Racistus racistus is a loathsome specimen but unfortunately as common as Rattus rattus and somewhat less pleasant. The best way to deal with such a parasite is to ignore it."

"Look here, Mr Malfoy, you tell your brat to stop making comments about my daughter!" said Donaghan Tremlett angrily.

"I'd rather NOT look there if you don't mind, Tremlett" said Lucius in his silkiest and most sneering voice "The view of a man who encourages his brat in racism is NOT a pretty sight. And you know well that your spawn IS that way inclined or you'd not assume Drogo was talking about her. If the kid finds goblins unappealing to look at, now's the time for you or her to speak up and let us know that's all it is; otherwise I'd rather you didn't talk to me."

"Hypocrite! Everyone knows you were a deatheater!" yelled Tremlett.

Lucius looked down his nose.

"Everyone also knows – except apparently you – that I got over the brainwashing I received in my youth and worked AGAINST Tom Riddle. And I got over the traditional and foolish racist views I had been taught, that are promulgated and reinforced in fiction. And as I recall YOU were very happy to accept a lift out of danger during the Mudblood Pogrum that MY goblin chauffer gave you, along with other Muggleborn to a secure location. So YOU never ended up in Azkaban as some muggleborn did after humiliating trials and accusations of theft of magic. I rather wish I had left you to be indicted if you can't be at least CIVIL to my children – whatever race they are" Lucius was furious. "I didn't stick my neck out for gratitude but nor did I do so to then be insulted by someone almost as rude as a German, almost as rude even as a muggle chav. LOVELY example you're giving to my muggle-reared charge here of the lower end of wizarding society; I suppose you'll change your well-vaunted allegiance to the Kenmare Kestrels when I tell you that they were one of the teams who approached my Gorbrin with an offer to play him as their seeker; unless you're a hypocrite too that will support a team that sees no problem in playing a goblin. I suppose that's beyond the limitations of what you laughingly refer to as your thought processes; I suggest you leave thinking to those who have the basic equipment and just twang monotonously on your outsize but unexciting instrument."

Tremlett drew wand and pointed it furiously at Lucius.

The stinging hex did nothing but fizzle out on Lucius' shield; save that it was ill directed in anger and hit a small child behind Lucius, who screamed in pain.

Lucius turned quickly to see a small girl who had fallen to her knees. His charges cried out in shock as Tremlett let loose another stinging hex at Lucius' back; and all made negatory gestures to put up shield charms. Richard started chanting.

"Are you all right, little one?" said Lucius, lifting the child "Some people have no manners I'm afraid."

"Yes thank you sir" said the little girl "My daddy says the Weird Sisters aren't any great shakes at anything and that seems to include wand work."

"Oh Barbary's not so bad" said Lucius. "Dear me, Richard IS getting sophisticated; dissolving bonds of energy by the sound of it. Lucius Malfoy" he held out a hand and the child, then her father, solemnly shook hands.

"Gondoline Goyle" said the child.

"And I answer to Bob Gargoyle on stage so I do know what I'm talking about over music – AND social issues" said her father. "Robert Goyle is my real name."

"Ah yes, you spent some time in Azhkaban for throwing goblin hats at Rufus Scrimgeour, but I'm sure you have your bad points too" said Lucius.

Bob Gargoyle roared with laughter.

"Sure, you ARE as snide as they say; but you put your money where your mouth is too, and I'm proud to have shaken your hand; there's no way a kid who leaps to defend his stepdad from attacks from behind is in any way a tolerated political pawn. WHAT is that black-haired imp up to?"

"A piece of magic more sophisticated than a significant number of NEWT students achieve" said Lucius dryly "He's a Snape; I hardly need say more. I expect he'll explain in detail to Tremlett."

Donaghan Tremlett had been disarmed and was wrapped with glowing green magical ropes.

"People who attack the backs of people are very low, Mr Tremlett" said Richard coldly "And you rely on the fact that Uncle Lucius is too much of a gentleman to lay you out in front of your daughter; because he'd never sully his wand on the likes of you. These bonds will dissolve of their own accord in some ten minutes which should give you a chance to get yourself under control and try to act more like a human being and a bit less like a German Troll on Alihotsy. If I were you, I'd keep a low profile; because drawing wand on a school equipment day is a misdemeanour and attacking from behind at any time is a felony. And there are plenty of witnesses; and if the gentleman whose child you hurt wants to prefer charges for actual bodily harm of a minor we'll happily testify."

"No real harm done and I'll not want to take the effort for so mean a creature" growled Robert Goyle "But my daughter will know that the daughter of such scum is NOT likely to be a convivial friend."

"It was an accident she got hurt! And it's only because Lucius Malfoy is a gobbo-lover and a blood traitor!" said Deirdre.

"Ah like me" said Goyle.

"We need to get together for a butterbeer and a long chat sometime, Bob" said Lucius "May I call you Bob? Do call me Lucius. And I've just thought of another delicious irony; your friend who sings under the name Boggart is Phelim O'Hare, nephew of a one-time keeper for the Kenmare Kestrels that this idiot purports to support. And he's with you over the whole rights issue, isn't he?"

"And isn't he just!" said Bob. "And now the Broomstick Boys are taking up the theme – and have learned to sing – we're thinking of putting together a charity concert to help the downtrodden in other countries!"

"You might too want to look to supporting those elves who want freedom and need training for it" said Lucius "You can use Malfoy Manor as the venue if you like so long as Boggart doesn't upset my peacocks too much; I heard about the donkey incident."

"It WAS the donkey from hell" said Bob "And deserved all it got. He'll respect your peacocks; and thanks to you for the offer. You've a field to play in?"

"Yes, where the children generally camp" said Lucius. "No I DON'T especially want the general public traipsing through my neatly manicured gardens; my gardeners would lynch me. There was enough trouble when the fey community next door discovered my muggle-made sit-on-and-ride lawnmower and wedged it in the Greek temple folly after enchanting it to fly. Though that WAS the fault of the elf mowing the lawn who figured that pretending it was good fun in order to get the prying eyes to offer to do it was a good idea! He should have had the sense to let the children loose on it instead; they're relatively harmless."

"Please, can you dads sort of get pally later please?" said Penny "Only the sooner we get round, the sooner we get ice cream."

"Ah, we must get our priorities right!" laughed Lucius "Join us, Bob; give Gondoline the chance to get to know a few schoolfellows."

"Didn't your dad once have a group called the 'Animagus Wererats'?" asked Richard as they moved on.

"Yes; but it was just really a schoolkid thing" said Gondoline "He sings with Boggart in Eiwaz-2 sometimes. Eiwaz is a rune."

"Yes, it's Elder Futhark and it signifies the Yew, and protection" said Richard "Uncle Lucius is very knowledgeable about runes and actually my sister Jade has published stuff too."

"Oh how nice to meet people I don't have to explain stuff to" said Gondoline "And who don't think us dippy to believe everyone should have a chance in life."

"We sort of started it – well our families did" said Drogo "I mean, your dad's been singing about it for a while but our dads actually helped with the killing of Voldemort and making sure there was a decent government."

"That's sort of boasting" said Penny.

"And why not? I'm dead proud of dad and Richard's dead proud of uncle Severus" said Drogo "And Gondoline's dead proud of her dad for actually going to gaol for what he believes in. It's well good to have dads to be proud of."

They went on their way leaving the bound and angry Mr Tremlett far behind.

oOoOo

The tensions of the buying of school books and equipment made for a lot of excitement; from the price war between two vendors of action figures of quidditch players that degenerated into verbal abuse, fisticuffs and only stopped short at wands being drawn at the sight of a famous and powerful personage like Lucius Malfoy; to the disgraceful scene created by Xanthia Fawcett.

Xanthia had caught sight of the Patil twins shopping with their little sister; and approached Sampta.

"So I guess I'll be playing for the House team this year?" said Xanthia with a toss of the head.

"Well you'd guess wrong, especially with that tone of voice" said Sampta brusquely "Not even an apology for your behaviour last year? You've a cheek, Fawcett; I only play beings on the team, not beasts with bad attitude."

"How DARE you!" screeched Xanthia.

"I dare because I'm the team captain and you're a pretty poor example of the house that I'd rather NOT have showcased in all her bad attitude" said Sampta.

"What happened?" asked Lucy of the other eavesdropping weevils.

"Well beyond the fact of her being a blood snob generally and a bit of a lame-brained galoot, as Sampta puts it so neatly" said Richard "She threw a hissy fit over playing on the all-school second team at quidditch – it's our main game, it's played on brooms – because she's a prima donna; and then she let some ass who had a quarrel with a Huffer – Hufflepuff is one of the houses, Fawcett is a Ravenclaw – talk her into making it a team thing and she even endorsed the idea that deliberate fouling against Huffers was all right which is just SO cheesy! And the other idiots who'd got worked up all apologised and Fawcett wouldn't and actually the scratch team of younger players played up better than the team of diva types so Patil's leaving her off the team because it plays better without someone who thinks she's God's gift to quidditch."

"She's also rotten to her kid sisters because she reckons her parents didn't ought to need any other kids than brilliant her" said Drogo "She has an erumpant or two loose in her top paddock if you ask me from what I've heard; lumme is she actually drawing WAND on Sampta?"

"She is too" said Penny. "Well she's over seventeen so she's an adult and not constrained by the age law; but it also means she's breaking the law because drawing wand is NOT acceptable. Do we tell someone in authority?"

"Sampta's quite equal to dealing with her" said Richard "And here comes Bella Black. That should be fun."

oOoOo

"Fawcett, you ARE aware that's an offence for which you can be arrested, don't you?" said Bella coldly. "Put your wand away; an adult menacing a minor – which you're doing with Simi Patil there – is a serious business."

"You stay out of this Bella Black; this is Ravenclaw business!" said Fawcett.

"Which is why you're also waving a threatening wand at a Gryffindor – Sita Patil – and in public? I hardly think Flitters would think much of you displaying his house as criminals" said Bella "It's school business when you choose too to show up the whole school acting like this."

"I don't take orders from you" said Fawcett.

"Yes actually you do; from tomorrow, anyway, when my status as a prefect – and incidentally head of Slytherin House - gives me every right to set you lines or put you on head's report. And if you've any sense in that weird noddle of yours you'll back down and stop being a prat before some scared parent of a new weevil who doesn't know that it's only you and that you're bonkers calls the Aurors in to stop the ADULT witch menacing a MINOR. Put it away; and get about your business. Reckon you got infected with Amos Leroy-ness before he got expelled."

Fawcett turned her wand on Bella; which was a stupid thing to do, because Bella merely laughed and let her do her worst before wordlessly and wandlessly disarming her and casting the summoning spell all in a combination wave of one finger that left the more knowledgeable weevils speechless in admiration at the elegant economy of movement and action. Bella stuck Fawcett's wand in her own belt.

"Give me my wand back, Slytherin bitch!" cried Fawcett, starting to go for Bella. She bumped into a wall of solid air and the weevils duly and politely applauded.

"Woof" said Bella. "I'm confiscating it; you can have it back on the train tomorrow. It'll help you stay out of trouble in the meantime not to have the temptation as YOU never mastered wandless casting, never mind non verbal."

"I'll report you for theft!" cried Fawcett. Bella laughed.

"That's an intent to permanently deprive; which I'm not planning on doing. You'll have it back. And if you want to take that complaint to authority – Professor Fraser OR the Aurors Office – then I WILL tell them why I took it, and you so will be in hotter water than even if I HAD stolen it. Grow up, Fawcett; we're all sick of you being a silly little girl who's stuck at about six years old on a good day."

"I'll get back at you for this, Bellatrix Black!" said Fawcett.

"FIVE years old" said Bella, laughing scornfully. "And all watched in horrified fascination by the upcoming weevils who are astonished to see a big girl displaying such childishness; beat it you brats!"

Drogo, Varjak and Penny dragged them off.

"When Bella says to beat it in THAT tone of voice she really means it" Drogo said. "Because I reckon she thinks Fawcett might try to hurt us. I doubt she could, not most of us, but Lucy and Gondoline and Glasbhinn and Meadh are still vulnerable. And I say, Richard, how about Lucy for a Marauder?"

"We need to check with Rose and Jar-Jar and Teddy" said Richard "But she's pretty game is my new cousin."

"He said he likes you" said Drogo, absently translating.

"Jar-Jar? Like in Binks?" said Lucy.

"Yes; it's Marauder custom to quote Star Wars a lot; my brother started it" said Drogo "That's Draco; he's the eldest of all of us and he was one of the Marauders with Harry Potter and…. Lumme we HAVE got a load to fill you in on."

"We can do lots of it in Orme Court over the rest of the weekend" said Varjak equably. "Her real name is Njorjala gan Jorg – 'gan' is kinda like 'mac' at the beginning of a name or '-son' after it, and mostly we call her Jala for short but it also kind of follows that she should be Jar-Jar gan Binks."

"Oh that makes sense" said Lucy; who being another eleven year old who followed Star Wars understood perfectly.

They caught up with the others of their ilk in Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Emporium and Lucy had the fun of eating Apricot Fool that giggled as it went down, and Rumbling Raisin that made loud noises while it was being digested. And the other marauders were told Lucy's story and voted her a good addition even though it brought them to an arithmantically dodgy number like eight.

"And it's been done by other groups without problem" said Drogo airily. "And if we're all going to be animagi, Lucy will have to decide what sort of animal she's going to be and the rest of us are going to be predators by the way which is why we're the hunting marauders."

"What's an animagus?" asked Lucy.

That explanation having been made she had to think hard.

"I'm not a great animal lover" she said "Well I'm not horsy and I don't much like the smell of dogs. And cats are a bit supercilious."

"Tigers are all right; they're big enough to have a right to be supercilious" said Jala "I'm going to be a tiger. Besides half the marauders higher up the school are Rakshasa – lumme, that means yet MORE explanation!"

Rakshasa and werewolves and manimagi were explained, and the others told Lucy what their forms were.

"Well if BIRDS are allowed – and they must be if Varjak's planning on being an eagle – I guess I don't mind the idea of flying" she said. "Besides it goes with the nose; I do have rather a beak. I seen buzzards at the zoo; they're good big birds like eagles, I guess."

"They're clumsy though in flight" said Varjak "Nothing to stop you being a second eagle if you want; there's no hard and fast rule about it. Especially if you're a different species; I'm going to be a golden eagle, but there's the fish eagle and…and others. Like Drogo and Jala are both going to be big cats, black panther and tiger. Or you could be a Goshawk; they're big and pretty smart birds, with fantastic eyesight."

"If it's big you want, go for the Andean Condor" said Richard "It has the biggest wingspan of any bird; it's a member of the vulture family."

"Trust Richard to know" laughed Rose.

"I don't think I fancy being a vulture" said Lucy "I know I'm ugly but there are limits. I want to be beautiful and to soar."

"They're not ugly and nor are you" said Richard "But I think you'd have most fun being a Goshawk; Vultures kind of need more thermals than we get this far north and especially at school up in Scotland."

"And we can go next door and look at Uncle Casimir's internet to find pictures and information when we get to yours, Richard" said Drogo.

To fly as anything would be fantastic! And to be discussing the idea of using magic to change form, only scant hours since she discovered that magic really existed and had seen it in action was, Lucy thought, quite amazing and wonderful!

And the home to which she was taken was in a very posh part of London – Kensington – and she was in a house with what felt like dozens of kids from babies up, noisy and friendly and such kind grown ups too!

And Uncle Severus went off in the morning, explaining that if all went well Mr and Mrs Summerfield would come to dine so Lucy could make formal farewells to her mother and show her that she was alive and well and not under any constraint.

oOoOo

Lucy was NOT looking forward to seeing her dad again, even if she missed her mum a little; but both her parents were perfectly civil when Uncle Severus brought them to the house; even slightly subdued. And her mother cried over her a little and told her not to waste the opportunity of a posh education; and Lucy discovered that if she was a typical Prince she would be expected to be taking ten or eleven 'O' level equivalents – her parents had NOT been told about magic – and four or more 'A' levels and that even if she was not a typical Prince, the school catered to lower achievers some of whom left school with as few as seven 'O' levels.

This certainly subdued her parents even more as they had never in their lives dreamed of having family taking as many qualifications as that. Lucy's mother had four GCSE's and her father had none at all. And they were, too, rather overwhelmed by Uncle Lucius.

That Lucius had set out to be overwhelming passed Lucy by since she had got used to him by now and thought him a perfectly wonderful person to just collect her, take her along with his children, and assume responsibility for her without turning a hair. She was unaware that Severus had pointed out that Lucius was around about the fifteenth richest man in the world – which had impressed her father no end – and was surprised when Mr Summerfield actually asked bluntly. Lucius laughed.

"Oh around about" he said "I don't pretend to be in the same league as people like Bill Gates or sundry Saudi princes. I have a lot of holdings in a number of fields; which is just as well as I have an inordinately large amount of children who can take on the various aspects of my properties when I get too old to find them exciting any more. Money's only a way of keeping score outside of having enough to live in comfort and interest oneself in various social projects. Like paying for several scholarships to the school Severus runs for gifted children; and Lucy may end up transferred there if she's musical or artistic. Unless she chooses to stay with the friends she's already made. Severus won't have his own children in his own school without good reason; but she isn't so there's no problem."

"I bet he doesn't have any discipline problems" said Mr Summerfield, giving Severus a wary look.

"Not hardly" said Lucius. "Always been a strict disciplinarian has Severus; and the best person in the world to go to in a crisis. And as he doesn't HAVE to work, he teaches as a vocation; so he's actually rather good at it."

"And if it's all the same to anyone" said Lucy firmly "I'd like to stay with my friends."

"And so you shall my dear" said Severus "And off to school tomorrow!"

_I do hope everyone got the music jokes _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Kevin Slugworthy was train prefect all alone now Gorbrin was gone; though the Belle Marauders tended to mill around in a less official capacity and help as whippers-in, though as Kevin said to his own set this would be less nerve-wracking if only he didn't have a constant picture in his own mind of Bella with a real whip for those she considered total idiots.

Having Lilith chivvy a group of weevils, her little brother among them, into a line and instruct them to raise their right hand and say 'Ave Kevin, Educatori te Salutamus' was just par for the course and very Lilith. Kevin poked her.

"What does it mean?" asked Lucy.

"It means you got Latin left off your curriculum" said Richard.

"You ARE a pig, Richard" said Rose amicably "They don't do Latin in any but the poshest muggle schools and by the way, only Snapes actually come to school fluent in more than the usual selection of languages, which is to say English, Rubbish and Gibberish."

Richard laughed.

"Well that's only too true" he said "Don't worry, Lucylastic; we get taught from scratch here and I'll catch the rest of you oiks up if you struggle."

"Thanks but what DOES it mean?" asked Lucy.

"Hail Kevin, we who are about to be educated, we done salute you" said Richard "It's from the thing gladiators used to say, 'Hail Caesar, we who are about to die salute you"

"That's in Asterix" said Lucy "And it's 'salutant' in there not 'salutamus' you know."

"That's a very good memory you have" said Richard approvingly "The translation there is 'they salute you' not 'we salute you', speaking in the third person; either is correct and might have been used. If they did it at all and it ain't some story tacked on by people of later times."

The Hunting Marauders firmly shed those weevils who were not to maraud and sought themselves a compartment to commandeer. They consented to let Penny share it with them with Darius, Ramsey and Draco – quickly dubbed Drax to prevent any confusion if Drogo's brother should be mentioned – when they arrived though as Richard said rudely they ought to get a compartment just for Drax and make sure it wasn't in a place to upset the balance of the train. Drax grinned and poked him to the applause of Richard's own cronies.

"He's rude" said Rose.

"No!" said Drax "You don't say!"

Richard grinned at him.

"You're a good sort, Drax" he said "I'm really glad your mum survived having you; and if you ever need a place to stay or she does if she's not well, you have only to ask you know. Or one of our free elves would gladly take care of her and nurse her for a while in her own home; Mimette loves having people to run around after only she refuses point blank to be anything but servantly even though she's really a member of the family."

"I think elves can be like that, some of them" said Drax "That's really kind of you Richard; and for my mum I guess I'd not be too proud to ask."

"A man has to take care of his mum" agreed Ramsey.

Varjak meanwhile opened a book on how many weevils this year were named after Ron, Harry, Hermione, Draco or Neville; Krait was a bit of an individualistic name and was unlikely to be taken up, and besides she and Severus had kept firmly in the background, the so-called Golden Trio being the most famous for Draco having been more or less under cover until his personality as Lord Convolvumort was revealed, and Neville being firmly almost as self-effacing as Severus and the Weasleys had firmly tried to keep Ginny's name out of things. Which meant that anyone named Severus or Ginny was probably going to be much in the know, though Neville's parents' recovery had thrown him more into the limelight than he might have wished.

Richard was of the opinion that most of those named after the trio would be from Gryffindor families as so were the originals; and Rose declared it was the sort of dippy thing Hufflepuff families did. Not that calling Drax 'Draco' was dippy, she added hurriedly, because it was encouraging for Miss MacNair to know that other people had been brave too.

It was a surprise to them to find two traditionally Ravenclaw families who had succumbed to the temptation to name their offspring after the Heroes, and Ronalda Ackerly admitted to three brothers named Harry, Herman – for Hermione – and Neville; and Hermione Twycross had twin siblings named Neville and Harriet, though her youngest brother was Everard after an uncle from whom they had expectations. There was a Rona Kirke and Harriet Bell from Gryffindor families; and the girl who gave her surname as Coote and who asked if she couldn't just be called Harri for short.

"What's wrong with Harriet?" asked Drogo.

"Nothing – if that was my name" said Miss Coote gloomily.

"Well you might as well spill" said Drogo "It'll be read out to have you sorted into a house you know; if it's a really silly name we may as well get all the laughing at it out of the way now, so we can think of you as Harri for the rest of your school life."

"I suppose that makes sense" said Harri Coote "My parents couldn't decide which of the Golden Trio to name me after so they combined all three; I'm Harronione."

"Crumbs! No WONDER you want to be Harri!" said Drogo.

"Actually it's too tragic to want to laugh at" said Richard.

"Thanks. I think" said Harri "My parents think it's all too romantic for words but if you ask me it must have been jolly uncomfortable for the people involved."

"It was" said Richard dryly "My parents were two of them – though they managed to stay enough in the background after the event not to get people named after them; because Harry was my dad's ward. And Drogo and Varjak's brother is Draco Malfoy so he had a job at the sharp end too. That's why it's certain families who Maraud; those of us who grow up knowing about the painful and scary realities of fighting dark wizards uninfected by romance and that sort of crap."

He had to explain Marauding; and Harri said firmly that it sounded way out of her league but that she was ready to be a makeweight with any helping out. They handed her over to Penny.

oOoOo

The only weevil to cause any trouble was a girl named Agatha Montague who started throwing her weight around and barged in on the Marauders and friends and, taking in that Rose was part elf, actually tried to tell the little girl that she might be a fag for her and fulfil her function thus.

"And who died and made YOU Voldemort?" said Rose rudely. "Go fish up a tree, spam-face."

Agatha gaped; elves did not TALK like this.

"You should punish yourself for talking to a human like that!" she said "Because if you don't, I will!"

"Yeah? You and whose army?" said Rose, laconically. The would-be bully drew wand and the others politely let Rose deal with her. They pushed the boneless green thing that exploded maggots from pustules – a jinx courtesy of their Durmstrang counterparts – into the corridor where Bella found her and, having extracted the reasons behind the girl's predicament told her that it served her right for being a prat and a bully but she repeated herself. Bella was lurking about because, as House Head she was one of the four NOT involved in the prefects' meeting to choose the new Head Boy or Girl, being one of the candidates.

oOoOo

The prefects meeting had convened to discuss the rival merits of Bella of Slytherin, Ian Malfoy of Gryffindor, Norman Whytely of Hufflepuff and Avice Crawford of Ravenclaw.

"I was rather hoping" said Maud Hubble-Langstaffe, one of the three of the Belle Marauders who were prefects "That you oiks would choose Bella as Head girl because then she'll have a study to herself; and our study is most awfully cramped even though Mimiwobbles here don't take up much room" – at which Mimi Snape poked her – "Because Bella DOES take up a lot of room because she's both extremely AND suddenly and rather inclined to grow a tiger tail when she's thinking and it twitches."

"I say, if you think we're voting for Bella just to give you types more room you can think again!" declared Miriam Moonshine "You all CHOSE to be together like sardines in your study, including the two of you that aren't prefects and aren't entitled to studies of right!"

"True" said Maud "But Bella is sort of extremely and suddenly in a good way and would make a decent head girl anyway."

"That's a fair reason" said Sampta Patil "You lot are so ruddy talented, why don't you expand your study into wizarding space?"

Mimi and Maud exchanged looks, smote themselves on the foreheads and shouted 'DOH!'

"Too simple a solution for our tortuous Marauding minds I guess" added Mimi. "It's a tough choice actually, going back to the main business in hand; Bella's just Bella which is enough said; Ian, Norman and Avice are all thoroughly good sorts and steady too, which can be an advantage in a head oik."

"Ian's a bit quiet" said Anthony Parkinson.

"My brother might be quiet but it doesn't mean he wouldn't rise to the challenge; and quietly and efficiently get on and do what he had to" said Zajala "And I want to debate it because I am torn between him and Bella; because school comes before house."

"Avice is kind to little ones and ready to help at any time" said Sampta "And I have to say Norman's a really nice boy too and – this isn't an insult – thoroughly inoffensive. Even our er dippier divas have never taken offence at Norman. Though I'm not sure how strict he'd be if we had a problem that needed a Head Boy to leap on it; you Huffers like to give us more insights into your House Head?"

"Norm's a really good type" said Kevin Slugworthy "But I somehow don't see him being able to deal with someone like Fawcett if she put on her parts. And Avice couldn't either; sorry Sampta. I reckon you should have been house head in Ravenclaw, you're the only one who's got the force of personality to swing it. Avice and Venilia deal with things like Fawcett by ignoring them."

"I was offered it; but I asked the Head to give it to someone else" said Sampta "Because I didn't want to give up the position as head of Ravenclaw games; because I NEED to make sure Fawcett doesn't browbeat anyone else into reinstating her on the team."

"That's awfully big of you" said Maud. "And a vote of thanks from the rest of us for you putting the school as well as your house before personal glory. And it does actually prove how much the Headmaster has his finger on the pulse; Avice is a good prefect but I DID wonder why it wasn't you chosen since you lead and Avice and Venilia backed you last year. I don't think she could handle the responsibility of being head of school."

"And you know it" said Jack Murray to Sampta.

Sampta shrugged.

"I have to put forward my head of house; it's sort of obligatory" she said. "I accept the critique. I suppose Norman would be there if a lot of people actually objected to yet another Malfoy as head boy or to Bella Black just because nobody actually passed her any tact when it was being handed round."

"Yes but you DO know where you are with Bella" said Martha Bones.

"Jinxed into a ball" giggled Teela Guffy, her house mate.

"When has Bella ever jinxed you?" demanded Mimi "You're inoffensive, Teela, and about the sweetest natured and gentlest person in the universe; I have to keep checking to make sure you're real because nobody is as downright GOOD as you are."

"Idiot" said Teela cheerfully. "All right, I've never been jinxed by Bella. You Marauders DO wade in and sort things though; isn't it sort of traditional to choose a Marauder over any other contender because they HAVE shown that they wade in and sort things?"

"It's a point" said Roger Blake. "I'm partisan because Ian's a Gryff like me; and I'm inclined to think he'd make as good a job as any just for not being as er, flamboyant as Bella; though I have to admit that Bella will doubtless be a more MEMORABLE head girl."

"I have to admit" said Zajala, unwillingly "That Ian would normally fall in with any of Bella's plans at home; unless he disapproved when he'd dig in his heels and refuse to be pushed like Delaney's Donkey. He has no ambition" she sighed "He's considering being an Auror but that's the sum of his wishes. He's never shown any inclination to take on any of dad's companies to see where he can improve them; or play the stock market, muggle or wizarding; or lead any kind of revolt against anything."

"Unlike you, who are entirely revolting" said Phil Burke.

There was a brief scuffle between the housemates and Phil retrieved his ears, laughing, while Zajala got rid of the purple exploding zits.

"Bella then?" said Tony Parkinson.

"Rather looks like" said Sampta. "Are we ready to cast votes or does anyone else want to make any comment?"

"Not really" said Kevin "I think we're mostly agreed; I wouldn't argue with anyone who voted for Ian but I think Bella's the obvious choice. Like Maud says, she's extremely and suddenly and they are awfully good traits in a head oik so long as they're backed up with compassion, a bit of thought and sensitivity. Which Bella has got now she's learned reticence with her extreme old age of being in the Upper Sixth."

"Damned with faint praise" laughed Mimi.

oOoOo

Zephyra, newly a lower sixth prefect this year, had said nothing but had followed the debate keenly. Being a prefect was something of a surprise to her; she might have wished her cousin Storm had been chosen too, but she knew that Storm was likely to put her schoolwork well before any duties as a prefect rather than finding a way to compromise and fit in work around the fairly unonerous task of sitting prep and prowling passageways to sort out disputes. Zephyra was fiercely loyal to any and all of the Malfoy family – which included Bella – for their kindness to her and Storm and their mothers; and though she would make up her own mind on issues she was inclined to follow her friend Zajala's lead and took on board what she had said about Ian as a leader, though personally she thought him rather splendid. This voting for a head girl or boy was training too for anyone who stood for one of the elective places on the Council; or indeed anyone who stood to inherit a place on it. And Zephyra was certainly considering politics as a career, perhaps after a few years in the Quaestorium. She and Storm were taking just four NEWTs, not enough to be aurors – even if they had wanted to be – and the Quaestorium would be a good place to gain all sorts of training in law. Zephyra's other thought about a career was as a curse breaker because she was good at Arithmancy and Ancient Runes; and her ultimate aim was to be working for the Society for the Aid of Marginalised Women that made no difference between any race. And besides, the Madams Malfoys were such splendid people, working for them would be wonderful. And Erica Malfoy had too asked her to take on the mantle of president of the junior branch in Hogwarts now she had left; and Zephyra had been pleased to accept. Yes, she could do a lot of good by entering politics when she had a bit more life experience.

oOoOo

It may be said that most of the rest of the school were less interested than the deliberations of the prefects – old hands trusted their prefects to make a good choice and new weevils had either fairly set ideas about who was going to be elected – all those attached to Snape or Malfoy households were certain it would be Bella – or had insufficient knowledge about who was who to care much. The politics that affected them was the determined canvassing to join the MSHG run by the Hunting Marauders and their cronies and the already convinced – those with siblings already in the club. The younger Fawcett twins were keen though only Persis of the older pair had joined; which if either of them ended up in Ravenclaw was reckoned a victory as getting Ravers to join anything was, as Richard said, rather like getting literature out of a troll's brain. The MSHG tended to be heavy on Slytherin and Gryffindors; those prepared to put themselves out or with a modicum of more generalised ambition with common sense attached rather than all academe and no actual working brains – Richard's description. Hufflepuffs tended to view excess work in the early morning as a bit outlandish, save for those like the Slugworthys or the Templetons – Stephen was ready to take his brother's recommendation and join – who already knew something about it for having siblings in the school. Alexander Bones had heard all about the beginning of the MSHG from his big sister Susan; and was very keen to be a part of something that had been so important, thrilled as he was to have a sister who had actually been at school with the great Harry Potter. He was a little deflated to find that Drogo, Penny and Varjak had a big brother in the same boat who was also the almost equally famous Draco Malfoy but the friendliness of the Malfoy children made him forget any slight huff.

There was some slight hubbub when Xanthia Fawcett came looking for her youngest twin siblings – Habbuk Kordach, Kordach's oldest legitimate son, came flying down the corridor to tell the marauders, poking small Fawcett twins at them – and when Xanthia came into the compartment there were not two identical little girls but four, since Teddy was already a metamorphagus and Richard drew heavily on his blood brother to find the ability in himself that he carried from his mother. Xanthia had hysterics.

"That was helluva good thinking to bring them to us, Habbuk" said Teddy "Hold up you right hand and say 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good and will always support fellow marauders."

"I say! Are you inviting me to be a Marauder? WOW!" said Habbuk and promptly held up his hand to swear.

"He should have warned you that it comes with the price of being prepared to give up your childhood for others" said Drogo "Like Harry and Draco and Ron and Hermione and the others did."

"My dad's on the council now" said Habbuk "Doesn't that kind of make that my responsibility? Because if volunteers don't, the ruddy ministry certainly won't."

"He'll do" said Drogo. "Now all we need to know is what kind of animal he's going to be."

"I'm guessing you're not being deliberately offensive old boy" said Habbuk.

"We're planning on being animagi" said Richard "I managed to pull metamorphagus out of the bag over this little stunt, and I was already a snake animagus; Teddy's a metamorphagus and favours wolf and everyone else has discussed the forms they want to aim for."

"I thought human transfiguration was frightfully difficult and dangerous" said Habbuk.

"It is if you don't do it right" said Teddy "Which is why you'll probably want to wait to make your form until you've gone through a joining ritual that will probably be in a year or two unless they need us to support over something. But there's no harm starting to research your form you know."

"I could rather fancy being a fox I think" said Habbuk.

"I'm going to be a fox too" said Glasbhinn.

"And I thought being an animagus was rare!" said Habbuk.

"It is" said Drogo "Only marauders sort of got at the skill; and because we learn to cast non verbal and wandless anyway, it's less risky. The number of registered animagi over the last ten years is something like twice that of the previous century. It's as well to register though once we're adult. Not registering means you're subject to all sorts of penalties; but y'know, because of certain things you'll be able to er, massage the form to be less distinctive."

"Neat" said Habbuk. "Marauders kind of have a tendency to a larcenous mind set then?"

"Rather" said Richard "We have to be prepared to be outlaws if anyone tries to take over who's a git and a dictator; or run undercover in other countries to help them out."

"Cool" said Habbuk nodding. "Reckon my dad will be well chuffed and dead proud of me if I'm a Marauder; because it DOES stand for standing up for people."

"We're arithmantically better now too" said Richard "Being nine; and I know it's a large number but the class intake's almost twice what it has been. Voldy being mouldy had people going into paroxysms of breeding in celebration, and I shouldn't mind betting there'll be even more next year. It's a good job David – uh, Professor Fraser I mean – is splitting up the classes the way he is. And we still get tasters in everything which is neat" and he explained how things were to work.

"Suppose we enjoy two things that clash?" asked Rose

"I guess we talk VERY fast to organise doing both" shrugged Richard "Dad would be flexible that way and he DID have a lot of the training of Professor Fraser. He'll be flexible about people interested in both care of beasts and Herbology from a potioneer's point of view I'm sure; but y'know, there's Hagrid, so you go and have your care of beasts lessons over tea in his cottage one evening a week. I shan't weep to lose muggle studies for Ancient Runes; I already know a lot more about muggles than most people who take the exam. Astronomy for potioneers I can study out of books so I don't miss Comparative Magic; it's the clash of Enchanting and Geomancy in case I'm good at both because they DO both seem rather interesting. And I like history too, but Arithmancy as a choice is a no brainer. I can read history in my spare time too."

"He'll somehow manage to do all seventeen subjects" laughed Rose "He's a Snape."

"I could care less about Divination" said Richard "And Muggle Studies is basically there to make lame-brained pure-bloods who've never talked to muggles a bit more aware about them. And I play rounders with the muggle kids that live near me and I can use a computer and navigate the web, and find my way about on the tube and use a public telephone booth and switch channels on the TV and all that sort of thing and I know what groups the muggle kids listen to and so on."

"Most of which might as well be in Ancient Greek to me" said Habbuk.

"Yeah" said Glasbhinn.

"Me too" said Jala.

"Dad makes sure we can function in the muggle world" said Varjak "And Mother Charlotte grew up as a muggle too so we have her views and insights."

"And I knock around with the Snapes" said Rose "And so does Teddy."

"Among others" said Teddy. "I'm not as lost at sea as some of you but I couldn't pass myself off as a muggle the way I bet Richard and Drogo and Varjak could. And Lucy of course has been reared as a muggle."

"Oh I thought you were a spare Snape I hadn't met" said Habbuk.

"Close" said Lucy "I got sired by Uncle Severus' wicked uncle. And I got discovered in the nick of time to go to school; I've known about the wizarding world nearly two whole days so I feel about it a bit like you feel about muggles."

"You're doing awfully well" said Habbuk, impressed "You didn't turn a HAIR at Rick and Ted doing impossible magic."

"It's only impossible if you're not a metamorphagus" said Teddy serenely. "Besides, how does she know what's impossible and what isn't? I wasn't going to tell her anything about impossibilities; Krait Malfoy Snape came to the wizarding world at fifteen, ridiculously powerful, and without any preconceived ideas and proceeded to do heaps of things that are impossible because she's like that. And as Lucylastic IS a Snape she's probably quite capable of of…."

"Believing six impossible things before breakfast?" said Lucy helpfully.

"Exactly, Alice!" grinned Teddy. "It's a muggle cultural reference" he added as Habbuk opened his mouth to ask why he had called Lucy 'Alice'."

They played exploding snap for large portions of the rest of the journey and gave Lucy more background to the wizarding world so that by the time they pulled into the station she almost felt as though she had always known about it! Travelling by horseless carriages – that some of her friends explained were drawn by Thestrals, invisible until you had seen death – was for older ones; and Lucy hoped she would not disgrace herself being seasick in the boats after eating too many wizarding sweets from Ethel Portree's sweetie trolley.

She was fine; and Hagrid was big and ought to be scary but his eyes twinkled so kindly that it was as if she had always known him!

oOoOo

The Sorting Hat sang its usual doggerel to explain about the houses and then it was time for the new weevils to be sorted into their houses.

First on the alphabet were two 'A's; first, Daniel Abercrombie who went into Gryffindor. The Gryffindors yelled; there was a minor superstition – Richard whispered to Lucy – that the house to have the first pupil would have good luck. Ronalda Ackerly went into Ravenclaw, some of whom managed to be snippy that there should be a Gryffindor brat who beat 'Ac' on the register. There were a large number of 'B's; Meadbh Brown and Cassandra Bode into Ravenclaw to the cry of 'oh WHAT?' from the latter's Gryffindor brother; the Black-Weasley triplets and Alexander Bones sorted into Hufflepuff – no surprises there – Harriet Bell and Leonard Blake into Gryffindor; Oswald Beamish, Darius Burke and a sneering looking boy called Pascoe Broadmoor into Slytherin. Gondoline Goyle whispered to Penny that she really would hope for Slytherin then as she really liked Oswald.

Ramsey Corbin, fairly certain that his father expected him to be Ravenclaw was delighted when his fervent wishes to be with his new friends fetched HIM up in Slytherin and caused more noises of outrage from the Ravenclaw table who had rather expected an old Ravenclaw family like Corbin to come to them. The arrival at their table of Blanche Crawford did NOT seem to mollify them. True Ravenclaw also got one Crispin Ellis and the first Fawcett twin, Danae, in short order; but when the Hat declared 'HUFFLEPUFF!' for Daphne Fawcett, Xanthia actually stood up and screeched,

"NOOO! Tell them it's wrong, brat, you can't go to the DUFFER house, we can't have THAT shame in the family!"

Madam Sprout used a sonorous spell.

"Miss Fawcett I do not consider there to be ANY shame to a child who comes to my house" she said coldly "And it might just suggest that your little sister is a hard worker – qualities we Hufflepuffs value – rather than a lazy, self-opinionated little time waster like you who can barely make any academic grade in any subject beyond whining, moaning and vanity. Sit down or you will find yourself in detention."

"And fifty points from Ravenclaw for an overall rather poor showing of which Miss Fawcett is but the final straw" said David grimly. "Dear me, there had been such a lot of improvement in the house – as a whole – last year; I was hoping not to have to cancel all your lessons and have in kindergarten teachers to teach you to tie your shoe laces, have nice table manners and use potties nicely but I'm beginning to wonder if I shall have to."

The decent members of Ravenclaw were wincing. The Headmaster rarely degenerated to sarcasm; but when he did it hurt. He had learned it from Severus Snape after all, still celebrated in song as 'the famous sneering agalast'. Fawcett received several looks that promised retribution to her later.

Rose and Gondoline both went into Slytherin in short order, Glasbhinn into Gryffindor where Jala joined her. They were both grinned at by Harri Coote who was already there and glad to know there would be nice girls in her dormitory who had not even sniggered at her name as some – mostly Ravenclaws – had done. Teddy too was a Gryffindor, following Habbuk.

oOoOo

The alphabet progressed, hung up for a while on 'Malfoy' and processing Avice and Alienora into Gryffindor, Drogo and Penny into Slytherin, and then Varjak into Gryffindor with the twins. Lucy, under the name of Prince, was just so delighted to be there that the only thing she cared about was that she should NOT be a Ravenclaw as they seemed to have some very silly people there; and went happily to sit with Jala and Glasbhinn when the hat proclaimed her into Gryffindor. It was no surprise that Richard ended up in Slytherin and if he was offered Ravenclaw he never said. Drax MacNair was there too. Tiarella Yaxley ended up in Slytherin too, under the wing of Penny and discussing why people were people seriously with Gondoline; a girl called Philomela Harper who looked jolly enough and, unfortunately, both Deirdre Tremlett and Agatha Montague.

Varjak, Teddy and Habbuk found themselves with Leonard Blake, Lysander Weasley and two other boys; the Daniel Abercrombie whose sorting had started the Ravenclaw silliness, who was a down to earth seeming little boy; and a lad called Octavian Spinnet. The girls had Lilac Wood as well as the two others of Gryffindor families, Harriet Bell and Rona Kirke.

And it was the Hufflepuff table that created the next excitement as the alphabet was drawing to a close when shrieks erupted because of the large and hairy spider emerging from the collar of a boy called Fidippus Webbe who had just been sorted into the house.

"Oh for goodness sake, it's only a SPIDER" said Daphne Fawcett in disgust "AREN'T some of you big ones a bit too old to get hysterical? Anyone would think you were Ravenclaws!"

That insult did more than cold logic to restore if not order at least offended silence at the Hufflepuff table!

oOoOo

"So MacNair, are you a relation of that big fellow who brought us across by boat?" asked Pascoe Broadmoor.

"Not so far as I know" said Drax "You any relation to the grindylows in the lake?"

He received a sardonic half smile.

"Well you can look out for yourself all right" said Broadmoor.

"You share a name with the brothers who got banned from Quidditch" said Drogo "The first string beaters of the Falmouth Falcons. I hope you don't play like them?"

"No" said Broadmoor shortly "My uncles bring the beautiful game into disrepute."

"Well so long as you feel that way about it we'll back you if the games pree is at all dubious about playing you" said Drogo "Because those of us who love the game want to see it played clean. And also want to make sure that a name isn't picked up on any more than race. MacNair is half giant and it wasn't his mother's idea; she's a real heroine to survive and carry on loving him after some bad experiences. I hope it's not going to be an issue?"

Broadmoor shrugged.

"Not for me" he said "Only it's a little tempting to make big jokes."

"You make big jokes and I'll make weedy jokes and we'll be even" said Drax equably.

Broadmoor shrugged again.

"Fair enough" he said.

oOoOo

The Slytherin girls who knew each other nodded to Philomela.

"You come up this end with us, Harper" said Penny "Tremlett is a racist and Montague would like to be a bully only she hasn't got the ability. Let them have the displeasure of each other's company."

"Thanks" said Philomela. Deirdre scowled; she would have liked to have had the cachet of a friendship with a Malfoy girl; and indeed would have liked to have some of the adulation she should be due for being the daughter of a famous rock musician. But she had grown up loathing and despising goblins; which had probably, had she but known it, stemmed from the role goblins tended to play in the betting world surrounding the quidditch her father loved; and had more than likely come for a chance remark made when he thought himself stiffed. But having no obvious and discernible root was not something readily cast out, and she hated these goblin lovers with a passion she did not understand or even care to analyse.

Which, when all was said and done, was her loss.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Lilith surveyed the Bog of Very Long Lasting Stench critically.

"I don't think it's actually as smelly as it was" she said regretfully "It's still good and boggy though; tapping that underground spring was a masterpiece of yours, Sec."

Sextus grinned.

"I was rather pleased with it. I suppose some of the charms on the loos have run out; we never did it with total permanency in mind, and some of our crowd aren't actually as good at chanting as you are, Halfpint."

"I wonder if the stepping stones still work" said Lilith, launching herself at the nearest.

It depressed with a satisfyingly loud farting noise and a bubble of noxious gas.

"Looks like" said Sextus laconically. "What an incredible smell you've discovered your highness" he added, unable to resist the Star Wars quote.

"Listen, I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on I'm in charge" Lilith quoted back, accepting his proffered hand to scramble back to terra firma.

"And that's different to normal how?" asked Sextus, ruffling her effulgent curls.

Lilith hugged him.

They were accosted on the way back by Professor Flitwick who thrust a package at them.

"For you ingenious children of your Marauder group" he squeaked in his high voice "Best laugh I had for a long time, dismissing unsatisfactory candidates for teaching posts…..hrrm. Well, very ingenious set of charms I must say."

"You ARE a darling, Flitters" said Lilith, who was about the only person in the school who would actually use the Charms master's nickname to his face. "I'm glad you enjoyed the pompous being well and truly farted at. I bet Fido enjoyed it too."

"Between you and me my dear, we all but rolled around on the floor" said Flitwick "But I never told you that."

"Told us what, sir?" said Lilith with big innocent eyes. The little professor patted her fondly on the shoulder. She was taking the NEWT in his subject this year and he was certain she would have NO trouble!

oOoOo

The Stripy Marauders very much appreciated the big box of chocolate frogs and voted Filius Flitwick Wizard of the Month.

"Pity we can't solve his problems in house for him" said Lilith regretfully. "Like gluing Fawcett to the ceiling with a permanent sticking charm and her lips glued together too."

"It would be rather inappropriate" said Sextus regretfully.

"We can do our best to be really, REALLY good for Ravenclaw Prefects though" said Gennar "And just ignore Fawcett."

"What actually act as though she isn't there at all?" said Venus "A sending to Coventry and then some sort of thing?"

"Now THAT's an idea" said Lilith. "All in favour? Good, carried" as the hands of all the other Stripy marauders went up.

"The air turned fairly BLUE in the senior common room last night" said Sextus.

"How do you know? You ain't a senior" said Kazrael.

"I was eavesdropping with view-o-sneaks of course" said Sextus "I wanted to hear what Patil was going to say to Fawcett, but it was Venilia Cornfoot who really took the biscuit; reckon she's managed to catch Snapism or something. Started off by asking Fawcett what she was doing at a school for the academic achievers when it was plain she belonged in a pre-school nursery for sub-normal trolls, since she was an imbecile with delusions of clawing her way down to being moronic; and it went down hill from there."

"I wish I'd heard it" said Jayashree.

"You will; I took a leaf out of the book of the Jade Fag Marauders in Durmstrang and recorded it on omnioculars for you" said Sextus.

The other Stripy Marauders were awed by his brilliance and said so. The next half hour or so had them rolling about roaring with laughter over the verbal excoriation of Xanthia Fawcett by sundry of her peer group.

"And it's almost worth hiring out except that Sampta would find out and crush us thoroughly" said Lilith "And so you wouldn't be able to do it again. Sec, I adore you; that was wonderful."

Sextus reddened and looked very pleased. They had to run for their breakfast then, so as not to be late for school; and they all looked forward to their lessons and did not want to miss anything! Lilith wandered off to lower sixth divination, it being a free period for her while her classmates did Transfigurations; only Lavender and Rosemary Spikenard were taking Divination to NEWT so Madam Spikenard permitted Lilith to sit in and study at OWL level since Lilith was also keen to take Metalwork which really needed an ordered practical and which clashed.

Lilith was studying Sikidy at the moment, divination by tamarind seeds; and had been heard to mutter that Sikidy gave her the pip.

oOoOo

Bella and friends were meanwhile in Comparative Magic; this was Maud and Mimi, it not being one of the choices of Drusillina or Isabel. Bella found Comparative Magic quite fascinating; although not quite as fascinating as she found its professor and, when he was wearing tiger form, his fluffy white tummy.

The lesson was on the various uses of ritual sending by proxy; in other words the use of dolls named to represent an enemy, known to the Ancient Greeks as kolossoi who also used them to try to create a love between two people which was, as Professor Khan said dryly in his purry, growly voice, about as successful and true as any so-called love created by so-called love potions. The figures were commonly known today as voodoo-dolls which was, explained Professor Khan, something of a misnomer since the use of dolls in Voudon were only for sympathetic magic. The Medieval witch would have called such dolls 'poppets' which was a generic term for dolls but would do for modern nomenclature; and generally they were used for harm rather than more benign magic. The European idea that voodoo dolls were the same as poppets had come from the discovery of Nkondi, used in the Congo Basin, which were used to send retribution judicially to a criminal and were 'awakened' by driving a nail into them, recalling to the minds of the Europeans who saw them the old idea of witches running needles into wax poppets. Nkondi were specialised forms of Minkisi, sacred medicine which was used in the same area for a variety of sendings, from healing to harm and as love medicine too, much like the kolossoi of Ancient Greece. The interesting thing about Minkisi, said Professor Khan, was the use of Assimilative Correlation by nomenclature over what things were placed inside the clay vessels, figurines or animal models, such as the use of mushrooms, the word for them being 'tondo' which sounded enough like 'tondwa' meaning 'that it may be desired' in a love-figure.

"Sir" said Bella "Why don't more dark wizards ruthlessly use poppet magic to get at their enemies?"

"Hrrr now" said Assim, pleased "That is an excellent question and one that it is important to answer very fully. You see the difficulty in using poppet-magic – I like the description – is in the joining of the poppet to the intended recipient of the sending. It IS a form of sending, a ritual magic which is – I believe – most fortunately almost lost. The joining is a form of Protean Charm and as none of you but Griselen and Mimi are taking charms to NEWT I see you looking a bit blank."

"Library work" Mimi muttered to Bella.

"But sir – when we were third years we made a poppet of Achille Crouch-Villeneuve to turn him falsetto which was no more than stuffed tights and a face drawn for us by Erica Malfoy" said Bella. "And that worked quite perfectly! We used tights because we had no end of trouble trying to mold wax" she added.

"Ah, Bella, you have highlighted a number of interesting points" said Assim. "For one thing, the main difficulty in making a poppet is making it sufficiently similar to the original that the protean charm actually takes. The Minkisi made by true Banganya – healers – overcome that by using Assimilative Correlation by Sympathy in using SYMBOLS to represent the person involved because they live in a culture where symbology is important; in this culture it is not. I doubt there are many of you who were named by your parents for the meaning of the name and its effect upon your life; which is an important part of a culture stiff with symbology. Such that Bellatrix means 'female warrior' and is the name of the so-called 'amazon star' in the constellation of Orion. But because that means nothing to YOU, trying to make a connection with you by representing an amazon inside a hunter would fail. You had trouble with wax, you say; well you're not the first. Many witches made poppets so bad that any pain their victims had was more likely to be indigestion than needles in wax. You horrid brats however had the sense to utilise the unique skills of Erica Malfoy, who can unconsciously form a protean charm with her drawings; similar magic to the painting of portraits of the dead but NOT precisely the same. The precise affinity of that picture to your victim was enough to create the link and as I have NO doubt that you also chanted – which can circumvent a lot of difficulties – and with a whole heap of Finnish naming magic, the sending worked. Moreover the sending was of a corridor curse level of spell; a whole WORLD away from damage or death magic which takes a lot of energy in the severing of the soul."

"Sir" said Griselen "If that's so, then couldn't it get a new and nasty lease of life by people using photos in this modern age of precise facsimile?"

"Ah, another good point" purred Assim "The answer is no; anyone care to guess? Mimi?"

"Because it's not made by hand but an image is created by y'actual muggle physics even though magical chemicals can make it move?" said Mimi.

"Precisely" said Assim "IF the wizard making the simulacrum took and developed his own photographs he would have a better chance of making it work; otherwise the results would be diminished at best and inoperative at worst. UNLESS he was also one of those rare people, a diviner who can tell much about a person, their whereabouts and state of health and so on, from a photograph. Which a few have been said to have been able to do even with muggle photos. They then have the link. Diviners – true diviners – however are rarely dark wizards; they have too much knowledge of consequences. The painting of a magical portrait creates a link to the person painted; it will display much of their personality during their life and after their death may form a linkage through which one may contact them. Oddly enough the people of the Congo basin manage to succeed, in the case of their best Banganya, through Assimilative Correlation despite their belief that they are asking the spirits of the dead to undertake the task for them. It is a primitive and unscientific use of magic with accidental use of high level theory, or possibly it is left over from earlier, more advanced civilisations. Griselen, you're not taking Transfiguration, are you comfortable with terms like Assimilative Correlation?"

"Yes, I've heard it bandied about" said Griselen cheerfully "And we've studied Assimilative Locomotion by Precision which is kinda along the same lines."

"Quite so" said Assim. "Good; anyone who is NOT familiar with any extra-subject terms I use, do ask. I want a nine inch essay from you on the Minkisi of the Congo; you may research in your text book and in the book 'Magic of Africa' which is in the library. Don't forget to include their use of two headed figures to see into both physical and spiritual worlds and how that might actually affect positively the protean effect by having the figure represent sender and recipient."

The three Belle Marauders went off deeply fascinated, and determined to find out about Protean Charms as well. Bella was glad that the new standard text book had come out this year; Assim had written three levels of textbook as there was rather a paucity of general texts on comparative magic, and this now meant that 'Uses of Magic Around the World' in its three volume set might be substituted for a whole stack of books each covering minor aspects of the subject like Che Saturday's 'Voodoo; the Voudon tradition of Haiti' and Mika Holmstrom's 'In the Name of Finland' which might be used with Nemo Waffling's 'The Power of Names'. And that was just three! All were useful books, but really better for being available for supplemental library work. Comparative Magic was a large subject and certainly by NEWT level required a wide knowledge and was not for those who had skimped on basic subjects. As Bella said, the best way to understand Comparative Magic was to be studying it alongside at least a further nine subjects as it involved elements of charms, transfigurations, dark arts, runes, Arithmancy, geomancy, history, enchanting and chanting, to say nothing of needing a working knowledge of fantastic beasts, herbs, divination, art, music and so on. Which was why the subject tended only to be taken to NEWT level by those who had taken a wide range of OWLs, as Mimi pointed out. She and Bella had each taken ten; Maud, who had taken nine, just cribbed from their notes. She was, like Bella, taking five NEWTs, with DADA, Potions, Transfigurations and Chanting in addition to Comparative Magic; Mimi, being as Bella said a Snape was taking another three in addition, Charms, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Bella had scraped 'A' grade passes at OWL in those two subjects because they were important for Chanting and Comparative Magic and Potions and had thankfully decided that she knew enough to look up any more advanced principle without actually having to study the subjects.

oOoOo

"You know" said Mimi when all the Belle Marauders convened for lunch "I've been discussing things with my various siblings; and it's actually quite a good job that most people who choose to follow the dark arts do so as a bit of a short cut to power."

"I'll bite" said Bella.

"Well, those of us who actually put time into esoteric stuff like Comparative, and Runes and so on, especially those of us who can chant, have a whole load of power at our finger tips" said Mimi.

"What, more than the average Snape, Mimiwobbles?" said Drusillina. Mimi made a face at her and turned her eyebrows into cartoon hairy spiders that waved their legs frantically. Drusillina absently negated them – she was none too fond of spiders though they held no terrors for her – and grinned. Mimi went on with a severe frown as if uninterrupted,

"You see, Jade invented a curse the Ancient Egyptians used, not as a curse, but to raise a temporary ghost to chat to; the ka or double of the soul, which they saw as being in three parts. And she used it to kill that awful evil woman Hedda Schrempf, her that nearly killed little Elfi Mondschein, and Jade did it by jerking her ghost right out of her body. Well, that's a curse no ordinary practitioner of dark magic could manage without having picked up significant amounts of chanting, ritual, ancient runes WITH the ability to pronounce all those bloody awful variants on 'h' they used AND enough comparative magic to understand a bit about how the Egyptians thought. Hieroglyphs as you know are pretty hard to learn at the best of times just writing them down; can you imagine chanting it?"

"Not without enough cheese to give me significant nightmares" said Bella, shuddering. "Lina, Izzy and I passed that exam purely on the oghams in the short questions and a very good working knowledge of Ancient Greek and enough understanding of the Egyptian psyche to guess wildly at the Egyptian account of the nicking of the cat the Greeks didn't understand what the fuss was about."

"And I'm jolly glad I never took the subject at all" said Maud fervently. "All those owls and ibises and things would make me bats!"

"It's the weird and way-out ones like the 'heart and windpipe' logogram that stands for 'nefer' or 'perfect'" said Bella. "Hard to figure out the logic. Or a scarab beetle for 'kheper' meaning 'being' or 'form' rather than the sort of logical meaning being 'one who shovels shit' which is what scarabs do. And that, I'm glad to say, is about all I remember. Chanting in the damn language has to be harder than chanting in Gaelic; and that was bad enough. After all the only rule you have to remember about Irish is that if there's a consonant cluster with too many letters in it you probably pronounce it 'v'."

The others laughed; there was enough truth in that to make it funny.

"Well that's sort of my point" said Mimi "That you need a host of extra crap on top of just crafting curses to actually make your dark arts sort of really dangerous, which means that you need a dead hard, patient, brilliant and hard working type to be a really efficient dark wizard; and WHY do most dark wizards want to be dark wizards?"

"To take a short cut to the top of the social heap, and rise to the top like the really big turds in a cess pit without troubling to ask for any help from scarab beetles along the way" said Drusillina. "Because they want it all, they want it now, and feel the world owes them, so actually buckling down to learn enough to prove that actually they ARE better than anyone else is sort of a concept out of their ken because it means admitting in their inadequate youth that there's more stuff to know apart from the goodies that grown ups try not to let kids get their hands on in the restricted section."

"Exactly" said Mimi. "A wizard – or witch – who can acknowledge that there's more to learn, always more to learn, and sets out to learn it would be a really scary dark wizard if they were that way inclined and actually probably not barking mad like most of them get because they have the love of learning for its own sake to prevent that. Only they tend to be too interested in academe to actually do the boring conquering shit."

"And it's a jolly good job your dad never wanted to be a dark wizard, Mimi" said Maud "Because I reckon he'd be most awfully efficient at it."

Mimi laughed.

"Like Lucius; if, before he broke the compulsion, Riddle had let him have more autonomy and had given him friendship not slavery, he could have been fairly fearsome; and now he's had the love-suppressing curse removed, he'd go by Niccolo Machiavelli, and use the maxim that the best armour that a prince can have is the love of his people; and would manage to be both terrible and adored and everyone believing that they did the dreadful things they did for the greater good – I pick the aphorism with care – and would sorrowfully but implacably obey. Gerhardt almost had it; but he couldn't handle reverses. It's another of the weaknesses of so many megalomaniacs" she added.

"It's not just megalomaniacs, Snape, it's anyone who suffers from an ego problem" said Mafalda Prewett butting in. "And by the way, that's a pretty interesting debate. My parents want me to achieve what they did not, a sort of megalomania by proxy and they HATED having Professor Dumbledore put an unbreakable vow on them not to make me cram in the hols; they actually went to a curse breaker to see if it can be circumvented now there's a new headmaster. It can't" she added with satisfaction.

"How is home life?" asked Bella.

Mafalda shrugged.

"Not too bad; my parents and I stay out of each others' way because they won't accept even now that goblins and elves can achieve as well as humans; they're rather busy right now fighting a law suit against Lucius Malfoy AND the Ministry of Education for going around saying that as he's a governor he used bribery to get his goblin adoptive son given eight 'O' grade NEWTs. And I'm afraid I can't feel much sympathy for them because I've been trying to tell them for YEARS. It's a bit uncomfortable though; they ARE my parents. Still, I don't have Artemis Lovegood following on my heels all the time since Luna married Rolf Scamander; he's the grandson of Newt who wrote the fantastic beasts book and he seems to keep her fairly well down to earth."

"Good job somebody manages" said Bella. "Well I have to say your parents HAVE rather brought it on themselves; Lucius will squash them like bugs; he HAS to, because that sort of filthy rumour about the Prime Minister who's also a governor is just too damaging if it sticks. And it's awful for the exam board too! Hopefully they'll come out with their views that no elf or goblin can manage to learn in public and be quoted so anyone who isn't a hopeless racist will realise that they are. At least you're nearly seventeen so you don't have to worry about having to be someone's ward if they do end up in Azkaban; as they might well for slandering someone that much. And it's career-threatening slander, because it's effectively saying that Gorbrin ought not to have been accepted for his Auror training – as well as impugning all those on the board of examiners."

"Crumbs, I hadn't thought of that" said Mafalda "And a swingeing fine for that; and I can't help but be selfish and think what that'll mean to me – like not being able to afford my final year in school!"

"I'll write to Lucius; he'll see that any damages awarded to Gorbrin don't make YOU suffer" said Bella. "Selfish? Well I think it's your parents who are selfish not to think about the stigma they might shower on you for their dippy beliefs, let alone if they get convicted, and have to pay every last knut they own in fines. We'll rally round, old thing, whatever; and for Merlin's sake, DO think before you open your mouth if any newspapers try to get a story off you."

"I was planning on disclaiming any views my parents held as having had the opportunity to go to school with elves and goblins and so having a clearer idea than those who had not" said Mafalda "I wasn't sure whether to say that they were too busy having made up their minds to want to know the facts."

"I wouldn't put it that baldly" said Mimi "Smile and say that unfortunately your parents haven't realised that you got past about six and have your own views that might be worth listening to. More in sorrow than in anger, you know; you KNOW how rags like the 'Prophet' twist words and if they're at war with Lucius at the time they might make you look rather callous you know."

"I bow to your superior manipulation of the press" said Mafalda.

As Mimi had used the press ruthlessly after a foolish junior had caused a lot of negative things to be printed about Mimi's fiancé Darryl Zabini, this was fair comment.

"You ever felt the urge to megalomania, Mafalda?" asked Maud lazily.

"Not really; it's not what it's cracked up to be" said Mafalda. "I'm torn between going into research as an Unspeakable, doing research on my own, or going to teach at Corbin's higher academy for witches and quietly take it over because he's not actually that good. If my parents aren't bankrupted I'll take a year at Prince Peak first to see how it should be done."

"Heh, if you plan on undermining Corbin, dad will have you for free" said Mimi. "Remember, Grace Corbin as was, now Grace Snape Malfoy, is Branard Corbin's daughter, driven by trauma MUCH like the way your parents were driving you almost into being a squib; until dad adopted her. Gave her enough dislike of education to leave after OWLs; which is what could have happened to you if we hadn't interfered. Dad LOATHES Branard Corbin and if you can do him an ill turn he'll go out of his way to help you."

Mafalda brightened.

"I really am glad your dad is a grubby-round-the edges wizard and in no wise a goody-goody" she said.

oOoOo

The first years meanwhile had had their first lesson in flying and broom control, under the strict eye of Madam Hooch; and it was rapidly apparent that Gryffindor had a selection of very talented juniors on the whole, and those seniors who had free periods to overlook this first lesson were inclined to gloat – whichever house they were from save the Ravenclaws – that the Ravenclaw juniors were decidedly pedestrian.

Not all the Gryffindors were good however; whilst Harronione Coote was executing a beautiful figure of eight at speed under the watchful eye of Madam Hooch Lucy was in significant trouble and managed to crash.

"Oh it's the mudblood; what else would one expect" said Agatha Montague.

"And if she was muggleborn that's NO corollary" said Penny scornfully. "She's muggle-reared; which gives her an advantage over YOU, you lump of lard for understanding their world too; and YOUR broomwork is NO great shakes either. If she runs true to heritage she's SO going to make you look a fool – more of a fool – in the potions dungeon and in Arithmancy. You are SO ignorant!"

"Thank you Miss Malfoy, rather a diatribe if essentially accurate" said Madam Hooch "I suggest, Miss Montague that those in glass houses should not cast stones. Your broom work is VERY sloppy."

Lucy had meanwhile been picked up and dusted down by Glasbhinn, Jala and Rose, all of whom performed with a sufficient accuracy to not irritate Madam Hooch and no serious enthusiasm. Richard, Varjak and Drogo waited until Madam Hooch's attention was directed elsewhere – disentangling two young Hufflepuffs from each other – and flew in formation upside-down over Montague's head blowing raspberries at her.

After flying the first years dispersed in two different directions, Gryffindor and Slytherin to Metalwork and Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw to Divination. They were not to know that Professor Jorbal had requested this on purpose in order to start the year with the pairing of houses that was less likely to be dippy; which description he borrowed from the schoolchild idiom as being appropriate.

The Hunting Marauders, being all clustered within Gryffindor and Slytherin, were pleased not to be split for the taster classes; though of course they might end up being split over the next term depending on what each shone in. None of them were likely to shine in metalwork, though it was fascinating; and Varjak, though trying hard, was plainly a complete klutz with hot copper and hung on like grim death not to spill his end of the crucible. Richard relieved him of it.

"Mr Malfoy-Tobak, it would be unfair to bring up how good your brothers are at this, but if this is not an aberration I think you might wish to watch and stick to theory for the rest of the half term" said Jorbal.

"I'm sorry sir" said Varjak "I'd like to try one more practical if I may before you write me off; if I can't control myself I'll be condemned to do Divination instead which would be awful, and besides this is awfully INTERESTING."

"Well, well, it's a good attitude" said Jorbal, not displeased. "And you must remember, my boy, that Lionel Dell the Triwizard champion was appalling at Potions and yet took it to NEWT at 'E' grade purely by application. And Metalwork is in a similar vein, where being methodical can make up for a lot of lack of talent."

"Thanks sir; that's most AWFULLY encouraging" said Varjak, determined to work really hard for this professor!

It may be said that Lucy performed better than Agatha Montague in this class; though the class stars were Lysander Weasley and Ariadne Ollerton followed by Daniel Abercrombie, and the only other person apart from Varjak who made a poor showing was Darius Burke. And Drax MacNair was delighted to make a better than fair showing despite his huge hands! Indeed, Jorbal suggested to him that he might wish to concentrate on those aspects of metalworking where strength was an advantage, such as weaponsmithing.

After the break this set had Arithmancy; and here Lucy felt very comfortable. To be sure, the idea of numerology was startling, and something she had always thought a little whacky; but then, this was the wizarding world and one could not expect muggles to apply a wizarding science with any degree of hope of it working. To her surprise she was faster than Richard at solving the problems they were set; which after all that Drogo had said about Snapes and Arithmancy was surprising. Richard, it may be said, fought with his worse self and managed to give her a congratulatory smile; she WAS his cousin after all, and he was not as much a natural arithmancer as his sister Lilith. Lucy did have to correct Professor Vector when called 'Miss Snape' however.

"Please, Ma'am, it's Prince" said Lucy "Richard's my cousin not my brother."

"I do beg your pardon Miss Prince" said Madam Vector. "And a more fortuitous combination than Lucy Snape, which would reduce to eight, a very poor number by WESTERN calculation, though lucky to the Chinese."

Lucy had already worked out that her new surname worked down to three, a fortuitous number, and combined with lucky seven for Lucy to reduce to the singular one; and that her old surname Summerfield was eight to start off with and became six in combination with Lucy, which was no great shakes as a lucky number either and was extremely pleased to have discarded it; because her life had changed from the moment Mr Malfoy had assumed her to be a Snape or a Prince. Snape on its own was the singularity; which could define Uncle Severus really rather well.

She absently worked out that Severus worked down to the singularity too; that was something! And with both names that made him two, the balance, the ultimate receptor and union. That would explain perhaps why he managed to have three wives; his balance within himself. If it DID work.

They finished the morning with enchanting and Lucy found it easy enough to understand the concept that whereas a charm was a spell that might be limited by duration, or ease of removal, enchantment needed a further component of low level ritual to tie a charm to an item in such a way that it could not readily be removed or countered, nor would it be subject to temporal decay – she liked that phrase – unless tied in improperly.

After lunch the Gryffindors and Slytherin retired to Greenhouse One while the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs went down towards Hagrid's cottage for Care of Magical Beasts; and a few of the incipient herbologists muttered that it would not be such fun doing THAT in the poor weather of the second half of the term.

"Hagrid has a classroom indoors for inclement weather" said Richard "Besides there's nothing quite like seeing unicorns in the snow, when their coats are so achingly white they make fresh snow look grubby."

"You've seen this I suppose" said Pascoe Broadmoor.

"Yes" said Richard. "When my dad taught here, Hagrid often took us off to show us stuff; and some things you never forget."

Rose tucked an arm into his; Richard seemed so aloof and snide at times but here he was with the soul of a poet!

"I wish I remembered it" she said softly "I guess I was too young when mum was well enough to take Salazar and me."

Richard squeezed her arm with his. He was as fond of his little aunt as if she was his own sister; indeed for the first few years of her life she had been reared with him.

"Well, very touching, but it's Herbology we have today not unicorns" said Pascoe.

"Don't try to out-snide Richard old boy; you'll never manage" drawled Drogo.

They had to be silent then as Madam Sprout bustled in and explained how the greenhouses were set up. This was barely more than an introduction to what Herbology was and how to find the equipment, being only a single lesson; but Madam Sprout managed to bustle them through quite a lot and they found themselves with six-inch essays on self-motile plants to be researched in '1000 magical herbs and fungi' by Phillida Spore, their main text book. Then it was double potions and the entire class of fifty-five came together.

"Somehow I doubt I shall make potioneers of many of you" said Professor Hardbroom – another Prince cousin, Richard had told Lucy – "Because to appreciate the subtle simmering cauldron requires a degree of mental acuity and sapience rare in any schoolchild; and indeed I fear in the general populace. I shall be streaming you by ability after half term; but until that time there is an inordinately large number of you. Whether this will work in a practical subject of no little risk remains to be seen; I TRUST you will have the sense you were born with and treat the subject with respect and not fool about. Anyone who fools about is out of the class and will moreover lose their house fifty points. Professor Malfoy will be a classroom assistant until you are graded at the half term mark when he will take the second grade students."

Professor Hawke Malfoy was a typical Malfoy who was known to the majority of the marauders, as was his wife, Professor Lynx Weasley – properly Black-Weasley Malfoy but there was a limit to how long a name was practical – who was to have a similar junior post in Transfigurations. None of the Marauders intended to be in the lower stream for any of the four major subjects however; so smiled dutifully and applied themselves to the careful brewing of pepperup potion stir by stir as dictated by Madam Hardbroom to get them into the swing of the techniques used. Lucy enjoyed herself and really could not understand why some people looked a little stressed; it was so lovely and easy and you could tell it was right by the very feel of it!

"You DO have the Prince touch" murmured Richard, who had ignored Madam Hardbroom and just made his potion at his own pace. Lucy was pleased. Agatha Montague was one of those getting red in the face and struggling; though the main excitement of the lesson was when Blanche Crawford of Ravenclaw set fire to her cauldron in a blast of purple smoke.

"Dear me, Miss Crawford, how very careless of you" said Professor Hardbroom, putting out the conflagration with a flick of the hand and equally banishing the horrid tarry contents of the singed cauldron. "Next lesson Professor Malfoy will sit beside you and monitor your work to see if it is ineptitude, carelessness or sheer bad luck that has caused this accident; and Miss Black-Weasley will sit with you too on the other side to be monitored similarly" she added as Mabelinn Black-Weasley's cauldron exploded with a dull THUD. Mabelinn was embarrassed; but smiled ruefully at Hawke Malfoy, who was by way of being a spare uncle to her through his wife as Lynx's parents were supporting the half goblin family and their mother.

Connie Hardbroom reflected that if there were only two truly dire ones over so large a class, and the rest of the poor potioneers no worse than poor, with the gems in her young cousins Richard and Lucy, and some rather good ones besides like Hawke's little sister Avice – ignoring her brother pointedly – Penny and Drogo Malfoy, and Hilary Zeller and Daphne Fawcett in Hufflepuff then it should be rather a good year. Most of the class seemed remarkably average which was a definite improvement on some years! It was always a relief to get through the first class with weevil potioneers; and it had not been TOO eventful!

And their homework was to look up the definitions of a number of terms like 'widdershins' and 'diced' and to write out the properties of each of the component ingredients they had used in the potion.

And that was the first day gone; and Lucy was happy. Even Agatha's unpleasant comments could not eat into that; because she had wonderful friends and a really nice family in the Snapes, and even though she would have been horrified to be at Dour Hill Comprehensive School so early in September she was delighted to have as long as possible at so wonderful a school as Hogwarts!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Lilith was to have the first two periods on Tuesday mornings as tutorials with Professor Flitwick since Charms was one of the NEWTs she was to be taking the following summer; and it was a period in which the little Charms Professor was free.

"It will have to be here in my office, I'm afraid, my dear, not a classroom because I AM available for the problems of the upper school members of my house" he squeaked.

"Sir, I'm just well chuffed you're kind enough to put aside the time for me" said Lilith "I feel a bit guilty eating into your free periods but I do sort of feel that Charms is one of my weaker subjects so I do appreciate it big time."

Flitwick laughed and ruffled her hair.

"My dear child!" he said "Most young people who were embarking on a NEWT at the age of thirteen would feel very pleased with themselves in that subject. You only compare it to your quite extraordinary abilities in the fields of transfiguration, potions and Arithmancy."

"Do you think so? That's awfully nice to hear" said Lilith "Mums reckoned that she took a while to get the concept of charms and always felt it was HER weak subject."

"If only my star pupils were as good at it as your dear mother I would be very pleased" said Flitwick mournfully. "We're starting off with memory charms, confundment and obliviation and such. It also covers such things as muggle-repelling spells and the like."

"Oh like the sort of spells you must have needed back in the bad old days when you were first at school to stop people looking too closely at your elf and goblin heritance" said Lilith. "It is mixed, isn't it? Or is it awfully cheeky to ask?"

"My dear child! Well it might be cheeky from some children, but I know you well enough to know that your curiosity is quite honest; so I shall tell you. My great grandmother was half elf and half goblin. I'm a bit of a throwback; apparently I closely resemble my grandfather, who was refused entry to Hogwarts. My father was much taller than me, and had no difficulty once he had transfigured his ears to be smaller, something he did to me at my birth. And as HE had a distinguished Hogwarts career there seemed no reason I should not be accepted; and my father taught me NEWT level spells to discourage people looking too closely when it became apparent my growth was to be arrested. A tiny ten-year-old is not unusual; you're hardly bigger than a ten-year-old goblin yourself my dear and nobody thinks it particularly remarkable."

"Yes, Mimi with her half-elf style form is taller than me by far" said Lilith "But Daddy reckons it was the poisoning with the Chinese Dragon's Heart Blood that mummy got that sent her into labour that affected my growth."

"I would never dispute with Severus over a matter of potioneering" squeaked Flitwick. "But you can see why it was a few years before I needed gaze-repelling spells. Which I have never actually dispelled; showing I think what a remarkable child you are to see through them."

"Oh!" said Lilith "I kinda figured you got rid of them when we first had Kinat and Ellie; I thought everyone knew but it just wasn't important enough to mention!"

"My dear, what a NICE thing to say!" said Filius Flitwick warmly "And yes, I suppose these days it ISN'T important enough to mention; and THAT is very nice. I've often wondered if there was similar blood in the Malfoys; poor Cosmo didn't live long enough to breed but there's that fineness of bone…."

"Malfoys have fey blood" said Lilith "Which is much the same thing, only being the posey sort of gits we of Malfoy blood are they picked Highfey. Which they could still count as pureblood, which is a casuistry if you like. I'm glad that Lucius has decided that race is immaterial and any Malfoy is all Malfoy regardless. Malfoys ARE quite good at charms on the whole – the main line, anyway – which I guess is the same source; elves are most tremendously good at charm-style magic."

"It did help" squeaked Flitwick "And I established myself as a duellist because I felt I had something to prove. And when I had proved it, I returned to teaching while I was still at the top ranking."

"Yes it's always best to quit while you're ahead" nodded Lilith "It's why Viktor retired from Quidditch when he did; he was winning on experience because he was no longer the quickest snitch-catcher in the international league and he felt it was time to pass on to others that experience he had won."

"That's precisely it!" said Flitwick. "Now my dear, you obviously understand the theory of the subtlety of gaze-repelling spells, so let us run through the casting of them."

Lilith knew what she was doing here; repelling the gaze of others was something that was almost essential for serious mischief and she had mastered the art long since. Being a legilimens helped, as she pointed out, because one could fine tune the spells subconsciously in the same way a boggart fine tuned its appearance to suit the fears of the viewer.

"My dear child!" Filius Flitwick sat back in amazement. "It took me many years to come anywhere CLOSE to that ability! Once again you amaze me with your virtuosity!"

"But then again, I've had to work quite hard at some of the charms like banishing and blasting because I don't see a lot of use for them in general pranks and if I was in a duel I'd probably use a transfigurational option like turning my opponent to stone" said Lilith "I guess it's a case of doing library work for what seems important at the time and sneaking up on Xanthia Fawcett to pin a notice saying 'Kick me, I'm a git' needed a thoroughgoing degree of ingenuity in front of the rest of the senior Ravenclaws and I wanted to see if I could do it without invisibility because people can still bump into you but if you misdirect their minds they get out of the way without being aware that they're doing it."

"I rather fancy, Lilith" said Flitwick dryly "That if you can do that, you know more about misdirection spells than I need to teach you. Remarkable! And you succeeded?"

"Oh yes" said Lilith. "She'd been trying to push whatsitsface, Danae, around; and Sec reported it to me and I just thought that was the neatest solution. She assumes everyone is in a conspiracy against her anyway, so we had nothing to lose in conspiring."

Flitwick tutted and shook his head.

"She is a very unbalanced girl" he said. "Dear me, I should NOT discuss her with you!"

"She's sort of rather like my grandfather without the attendant charm" said Lilith "Which is actually just as well; a charmless nurd isn't likely to be a Dark Lady. But she has no feelings for others, no appreciation of the real existence of the feelings of others either I don't think, and a kind of idea that the world is here to serve HER. Sad moo really; shall I go on to obliviating?"

"Yes, do my dear; let's not eat into your tutorials with discussions of my failures" sighed little Flitwick, reflecting that little Lilith had Xanthia Fawcett's personality to a 'T'.

oOoOo

The Pepperingye Marauders were bemoaning the fact that now they were in the fifth they could not really do anything excruciatingly amusing to squash Hazel Spikenard. Nathan was chatting to Walter Crabbe about it.

"When she went haring off on that spoof crystal ball seeing and Madam Spikenard was so waxy it kind of squashed her a little, but apparently she's had a couple of visions in the holidays about darkness coming and vanishing or some such twaddle and it's made her all uppity again" said Nathan "And she's got together a group of admiring Huffer girls – none of the Gryffs will touch her and her prophecies with a barge pole thank goodness – and she's showing off and actually planning a tea party with tea leaf reading!"

"Pretentious moo!" said Walter "I take it that's a strong hint to us because Lilith's lot are sorted for this term's japes?"

"Well if you're not doing anything else…." Said Nathan.

"We were a bit barren for ideas after things like New Zealand from Lilith and co last year" said Walter "It's a tough act to follow."

"I'm sure you'll rise to it" said Nathan.

Walter shared the information with the other Weird Marauders.

"We ought to seriously confund the tea cups to give pictures of the dark mark or something" suggested Niobe.

"CAN you confund teacups?" asked Yulan.

"Of course you can!" said Veronica "Didn't my unlamented father, Barty Crouch Junior, confund the Goblet of Fire to accept a fourth name? And he was no great shakes as a wizard so I guess we can do it easy."

"It was a magical artefact…. Well I guess the principle is the same" said Lavazka.

"It will be somewhere between confundment and enchantment I should think and a chant ought to take care of it" said Seth. "But I think the dark mark might frighten the dippier sorts of girls who go for that sort of thing too much."

"A point" said Walter "But getting the tea leaves to do something to our command is sort of the key."

"There's a muggle rock group called 'Queen'" said Seth "I wasn't allowed to listen to them because they were supposed to be evil and unnatural so of course I did. They had a track called 'the Prophet'; it uses a lot of three or four voice harmony and it's kinda creepy in parts and….. we need to go over to Camburnath and ask Sergeant Trumball if we can use his computer to listen to it on YouTube."

"I really can't get my head round muggle computer magic" grumbled Hasibul.

"That's all right; I can" said Seth "All you oiks have to do is listen."

"All very well, but sneaking off to Camburnath isn't done in an instant" said Chrys "It's a good ten to twenty minutes each way even by broom and we'd be missed."

"CALL yourself a wizard!" scoffed Seth "After all the gates we set up last year, y'think setting up a teensy little gate to Camburnath is going to be difficult? I know my way around there; dad visits Archie Trumball regularly!"

This was hailed with relief and the setting up of a gate to a tree on the outskirts of the muggle village of Camburnath was quickly accomplished. They went to see Archie Trumball.

"Are you wee limbs afther getting into trrrouble?" asked Archie.

"It's almost virtuous" said Niobe "Because a dippy girl who fancies herself as a seer is getting silly girls to go to readings and we sort of want to discourage it."

"Weel, that's as may be; but if onybody asks I'll hae tae tell them" said Archie "Yon machine is oot back."

YouTube was quickly utilised and 'The Prophet's song' was quickly found, Seth picking the video rather than a live version. Freddie Mercury could be a little erratic when live. Chrys played air guitar.

"It's kinda gloomy" said Veronica.

"But COOL!" said Niobe "I love that line 'for soon the cold of night will fall, summoned by your own hand'; it's just SOOO creepy; and that bit near the end when all the voices are chasing each other around."

"It's called a canon" said Chrys, who had had music lessons.

"Well it certainly fired Niobe's imagination!" laughed Walter. "I like; can we actually enchant that canon? The bit 'people can you hear me' and 'now I know' all repeated together and that really clever bit, where one voice is saying 'come here, I …..you' when the second voice follows it so you hear the 'here' as 'hear' in the gap…. That SO would freak them out."

"I think" said Chrys "we might need help."

"Isn't that cheating?" asked Lavazka.

"No more than doing library work if we consult an expert" said Chrys.

"Except that usually library books don't talk back or try to get you to do things their way" said Veronica "And of course we'll be asking Lilith who knows more about music in magic than anyone here and Lilith is so VERY Lilith and getting her to stop talking actually is the trick."

"She won't interfere with a Marauder jape" said Walter "It's against the rules."

"And we can't do it without her" said Hasibul. "What's the betting she actually knows the ruddy song already?"

"More than likely" said Seth cheerfully "It's from the era her uncle Casimir was born in and he's got heaps of muggle music. He's even got the Laughing Gnome!"

He declined to explain this and told them not to worry it would take too long to explain and would leave them no wiser anyhow; and was consequently well poked.

They returned virtuously just in time for tea and went in search of Lilith afterwards.

oOoOo

"Oh that IS a good one" agreed Lilith "If I were you I'd keep it relatively simple; you can do it with two voices, or rather two variants, and you can use the main part repeated in two or three parts to make the canon so your teacups are each singing different parts – that WAS how you planned to do it?"

"We hadn't got that far but it makes sense" said Chrys. "It's going to need a delay charm on it AND a charm to set off each of the other teacups after the first one goes; and we'll mangle it slightly to use that line Niobe likes so much before the canon."

"For soon the cold of night will fall/summoned by your own hand; aah-ah, people can you hear me?" sang Lilith "Yes it kinda works; second voice coming in 'people' as the first sings 'can'. Delicate timing magic; can you hack that?"

"Yes" said Chrys. "It was advice on the music we needed, how to make it work."

"It's ultimately a terribly simple round" said Lilith "but terribly clever in the timing. I should think you'd have to chant AND use a metronome for your chanting after practising all of you singing your parts."

"We can do that" said Walter "Right, let's retire to Salazar's box room; we shan't get interrupted in there except by other marauders and that doesn't count."

It took quite a lot of practice; only Walter – because of living with the Snapes now in the holidays – and Chrys had ever had anything to do with part singing, though Seth vaguely recalled singing 'Three Blind Mice' and 'Kookaburra' in parts at infant school. They got it perfected however as they would never have done had it been some compulsory school exercise; and set out to borrow Hazel Spikenard's special tea service.

"And Veronica can do the Waffling Logic work on exactly what conditions set the first one off" Said Chrys "I'm chronically bad at Arithmancy."

"At least you recognise it's a Waffling Logic problem" retorted Veronica "Even if you have got the sense to leave it to those of us who can. It's an 'and' problem; if tea has been drained AND the cup is swirled then that indicates a reading. No problem."

"Just do it, Crouch; I don't want to know the sordid details of your love affair with numbers" said Chrys rudely.

Veronica threw a cushion at him.

It was also up to Veronica to steal the tea set a little bit as the boys could not get into a girl's dorm in case Hazel kept it there not in a locker in the common room; the Glissand spell on the staircases to the girls' dorms was impossible for a boy to overcome unless he flew; which skill the Weird Marauders had not yet tried out. Chrys was the expert chanter with Seth a good backup; and Walter had learned a lot in the holidays too. Hasibul offered the idea that the tea leaves should also do formation dances in the middle of the cup in time to the music and volunteered to work out a chant to cover that piece of locomotor magic, something he was particularly good at. Niobe was good at charms too and volunteered to help with that; it was tricky because the cups had to set the tea leaves that were not yet in them dancing and there was much muttering and reference to NEWT level books from the library to assimilative locomotion by temporal precision and Lavazka and Purnima, who were steady enough all round stood by to add counterpoint to chanting and to help with the singing. And Chrys cast spells on them to drop their voices an octave leaving Lavazka sounding scarily like Freddy Mercury.

Veronica and her calculations set up the cups and each one was solemnly sung to in turn while the charms experts almost twisted their fingers off tying the music in and the chanters tied their tongues half in knots setting up the conditions. It took well into the night to do and they then had to sneak off to bed, Veronica thankful that the cups had, after all, lived in the common room. Hazel might not be likely to wake if anyone crept into her dorm but Meriel Llewellyn almost certainly would and would ask loud Welsh questions guaranteed to wake the rest of the dorm. And though two of that dorm were Marauders – Charis and Tobala – the rest were not.

They would have to wait for the weekend for Hazel's tea party; and because of the amount of research needed only two days to wait. Which was two days in which to try to find out where it was to be held in the hopes of introducing view-o-sneaks to eavesdrop on the whole business.

They decided to pump Carol Best who was the most sensible Hufflepuff of her year and who had been dubious about the party.

"Do you know when and where Hazel's holding her dippy tea ceremony?" Lavazka asked outright.

"Saturday at four; as far as I know they're using one of our box rooms" said Carol "Why? I'd have thought you had more sense than to want to go."

"Oh, aren't you going?" asked Lavazka.

"No; I have a date with Cyprian Ogren" said Carol, who had forgiven the Ravenclaw boy for his brief infatuation for Genevieve Harris.

"Take him along; you'll neither of you regret it" said Lavazka "And by the way if the pair of you wouldn't mind carrying view-o-sneaks….."

"WHAT are you little horrors up to?" demanded Carol.

"Well if I tell you THAT it spoils the surprise, doesn't it?" said Lavazka "I bet Cyprian thinks Hazel's as dippy as we do; he'll enjoy it, I promise you."

"All right brat; I'll do it" said Carol "Assuming Cyprian says yes. I'll certainly put it to him; I don't think he'd mind seeing her made an ass of. She fuelled all that crap over the Egobitchologist after all" she added with some vehemence. Lavazka had no difficulty in recognising Genevieve Harris from that new and imaginative epithet and filed it away to pass on to the others.

oOoOo

Saturday at four o'clock and seated in arithmantically worked out positions – which, Veronica said, Spikenard had got wrong – the six Hufflepuffs, Cyprian and Hazel took tea together after Hazel had muttered darkly about eight being not as auspicious as seven but at least better than six if, as she excluded Cyprian, Carol left too.

There was much nervous giggling as they drank their tea; all of them had tried tea-leaf reading in the taster classes of divination; but this was a real reading from a real seer and it was a little bit scary and illicit and possibly life-changing. After all, everyone knew that Hazel was a real seer who had real visions. And Lydia Snape, when she was here, had confirmed one of them as definitely true even if she and the other Marauders had been cagey over what it was really about.

It may be said that they expected to swirl their leaves on Hazel's command, and then leave it to her to read their futures; they did NOT expect their own teacups to take over.

Hazel's own cup intoned that now the dark of night was going to fall summoned by her own hand, and then the rest of the cups joined in, in canon. Several of the guests screeched and dropped their cups – Hasibul, half expecting this, had thoughtfully put Unbreakable charms on them so as not to damage Hazel's property – and the rest stared at the dancing tea leaves in horror. Cyprian eased his view-o-sneak to give a better view for the kids; really, they were right, this was the best fun he'd had for a long time, he was glad Carol had talked him into it. They'd laugh over this together for a long while. He felt for Carol's hand and squeezed it.

Ignoring the soppiness of their kind conspirators the Weird Marauders were in whoops of laughter at the pandemonium going on in the box room.

"What's happening? Oh what's HAPPENING?" screeched Heloise Pomfrey.

"The teacups have been taken over by dark magic taunting us about a horrible fate!" wept Tessa Wadluck.

"Grubby round the edges magic but scarcely DARK" muttered Cyprian to Carol "Brats in the THIRD you say? Remarkable skill. If it had been Scarpin and Snape and their lot I wouldn't give it a second thought but…. Most ingenious."

"Pompous git" said Lavazka in the Marauders' hideaway, actually in an attic abutting the Hufflepuff box room.

"Ravenclaw" said Hasibul.

"Oh he's not too bad" said Purnima "Especially compared to his brother. If Xanthia Fawcett ever tries to play Voldemorta, Damian Ogren SO is going to be her Wormtail if he thinks she has a chance of winning."

The tea drinkers were mostly fleeing by now, leaving Hazel to gather – rather gingerly – her teacups that were declaring that now they knew that she could hear them. So, once the door was opened, could half of the rest of Hufflepuff house and curious sightseers came to view round-singing teacups issuing order to come hear, they heard you and winding up with the canon on 'listen to the mad' penultimate line fetching up on different notes with the line 'listen to the mad cow' which seemed more appropriate than 'madman'; and the marauders HAD also left off the last line which almost might give credence to any prophet.

Cyprian was laughing out loud by now.

Hazel rounded on him.

"Did YOU do this?" she demanded equally of him and Carol.

"Not I!" chuckled Cyprian "I just heard a rumour in the wind as you might say and came along for shits and giggles…. Sophisticated piece of foolery. I'm most impressed; only fun I've ever had out of divination."

"Unbeliever!" said Hazel automatically, raising an accusing pointing finger.

"Yes" said Cyprian. "Excuse me; I think I feel another paroxysm of mirth coming on."

Madam Sprout had turned up by this time and wanted to know what a Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw were doing in the box room and what the fuss was about.

Hazel managed an almost coherent explanation, helped – or hindered – by snide asides from Cyprian and informative ones by Carol. Madam Sprout beamed at Carol.

"Well my dear, at least you came along for the show not to be taken in by the sort of rubbish that seems to impress the sillier girls" she said. "Not perhaps terribly kind to laugh at Hazel but then, it was scarcely wise for someone with one minor trick in her box to try to impress the gullible with what is essentially a lie, dear; because pretending abilities you do NOT have is living a lie; and whilst you might manage the odd vision, real divination does rather tend to elude you, doesn't it? Carol and Cyprian will help you take your teacups up to the Headmaster, who is a most competent cursebreaker and he will make sure there is no recurrence of this unfortunate disturbance. Run along!"

Cyprian muttered that he felt about six and as he hadn't even done anything improper he imagined that Hazel must feel so high.

oOoOo

David used Scarpin's Revellaspell on the cups.

"Well well!" he said "Very sophisticated; most competent! Very thoughtful of someone to place an unbreakable charm on the cups too to stop them smashing if they got dropped…. Excuse me" he set the cups off again and listened in deep pleasure. David, as a muggleborn, was certainly familiar with Queen.

"It's that rotten kid Snape, isn't it?" said Hazel.

"Oh dear me no, not Lilith's style at all" said David "Besides if Lilith had been doing it you'd have had at least four part harmony and guitar arpeggios into the bargain. This is much simplified musically; though I would not rule out Lilith having been asked for advice on simplifying the canon. Still, no harm done, is there? I'll issue a statement at tea that the singing tea cups were a clever prank in case anyone was really upset; and that the pranksters – at least three styles in there – put in an unbreakable charm does argue remarkable thoughtfulness. You were had, Hazel; and perhaps if you've been boasting again it may serve as a reminder to keep you out of any more serious trouble. You have a gift; a rather uncontrollable gift and I think your parents have been a little unkind to you in making rather a fuss about it so that you feel that you have to live up to it outside of the visions. If I were you, I'd ignore it and concentrate on being a nice, normal schoolgirl and let the visions happen if they must but don't let their occurrence disturb you. Most unhealthy."

David had very little time for true seers; he remembered Sibyl Trelawney too well. And it WOULD be better for the child if she were to grow up with less fuss made about her rare, and fortunately, infrequent, gift. And it would too be better for those around her; credence in the vague sort of prophecies engendered by either visions or tealeaves tended to cause hysteria and foolishness.

"Aren't you going to punish the people who did this?" demanded Hazel shrilly.

"WHAT a silly voice you can manage when you're upset" said David mildly. "Perhaps a dose of glumbumble juice is needed if you are going to squeak like a ferret caught in a letterbox… ah, better" as Hazel got her voice under control and muttered a hasty apology. Hazel did NOT like glumbumble juice! David went on, "I fail to see what's to punish; if your cups had got broken, then a fine of pocket-money would have been necessary; but it's not as though it was interference with a lesson, or even with your exam studies as you were hardly doing this for revision but for fun in playing teaparties with your little friends, nothing hurt but a little bit of your pride that you may one day thank the authors of this prank for; and though my time might be considered to be wasted, I have to say I waive any feelings of time-wasting on my own behalf for the delight of seeing that Lilith Snape and friends are not the only ones in the school to pull out a beautifully crafted jape of the first water with quite super-classic combinations of assimilative locomotion by temporal precision, Waffling logic and assimilative temporal sonic cohesion by extreme precision. I really MUST ask Professor Flitwick to see it before I take the spells off it" and he clicked his fingers for an elf to fetch the charms Professor.

Little Flitwick came at the run; and listened through to the teacups – Hazel was getting very tired of Queen – and cast the Revellaspell making happy little noises of approval.

"Remarkable! Wonderful!" he squeaked. "Dear me, it does seem a shame to take such a nice piece of work apart!"

"PLEASE take the wretched curse off my teacups!" pleaded Hazel.

"Certainly Hazel" said David. "I believe it will take a brief chant; Filius, if you will repeat over and over at the speed I shall give you 'People you can't hear me' it will assist my efforts."

"Certainly, headmaster" said Filius "Dear me, how very exciting; Severus would never permit me to assist his curse breaking; I must say, having the opportunity to watch an expert at work is most exhilarating!"

David laughed.

"Well it's scarcely dark magic" he said "But it IS very competently anchored. If you'd like to keep the Revellaspell up while I chant you can watch as I undo the layers. And I can't say I've ever even SEEN assimilative sonic cohesion by extreme precision before; most japesters who set up several musical parts do it by getting their timing agreed to start off with, not letting the swirling of the first cup guide the whole timing."

"VERY exciting!" agreed Flitwick.

Hazel just wished they found the silly trick a bit less fascinating and would just get on with it!

David chanted over the cups; and because it added symmetry he sang 'The Seven Seas of Rhye' especially the last line 'I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadour; I'll take you to the seven seas of Rhye."

He handed back the cups to Hazel.

"Here you are Hazel" he said "And if you'll heed my advice you'll just use them for ordinary tea parties in the future."

"Thank you sir" said Hazel, escaping thankfully. She felt very silly; and the headmaster seemed to think that she should feel silly. But if she could not tell fortunes, what else was there to her? It wasn't fair!

Hazel was, fortunately, not the type to try to plan elaborate revenge; the head didn't intend to do anything to the authors of the jape and that she resented faintly because the head was more interested in the wretched spells that had been used than in her inborn talent; and she had not even understood half the words he was throwing around!

She asked Charis Rawlins resentfully,

"Was it your lot of Marauders who cursed my teacups?"

Charis stared.

"Someone cursed your teacups? No it wasn't us; we're in the fifth now you know! It's an unwritten rule of marauders that japes are only pulled in the first four years and then we only do serious marauder stuff like researching dark wizards and so on. We've got too much on our plates charting a potential dark wizard to muck around with japes. What happened?"

Hazel sniffed hard.

"Well I'm not telling you, so there!" she said. Charis shrugged. Doubtless it would turn up in the book of all wickedness some time if it was any good. They had taking to recording japes too for posterity and for any marauder who was feeling down to read through to have a good laugh.

oOoOo

David announced at tea that if anyone had been disturbed by sundry singing teacups that they had been subject to a rather sophisticated jape and that the authors might perhaps have thought about the feelings of those silly enough to get carried away and fail to see a jape as it was. This was quite a nice double rebuke to both those who had not considered the feelings of those they caught and to those who had been daft enough to scream that the cups were infested with dark magic. Which was the triumph of hysteria over experience, since when anything out of the ordinary happened at school, one might always assume Marauders to be at the bottom of it.

Indeed the Weird Marauders rose as a body and Chrys said,

"We're awfully sorry if anyone was actually upset by our singing teacup jape, because we went to the trouble of making something interesting instead of sticking to the rather lame first idea we had of cursing the teacups to make the tealeaves form into the dark mark which we thought MIGHT be frightening, specially as lots of kids right now have parents who were rather menaced by the Second Wizarding War. So we TRIED hard not to scare anyone and we didn't think we would so if we did we ARE sorry."

"Credit to you for thinking of that then" said David.

Little Flitwick was sitting there staring.

"Third years? THIRD years? Remarkable, quite remarkable!" he was saying over and over. "Hasibul my dear boy, now I detect your mark on the tea leaves; and the unbreakable charm. Beautifully done, all of you!"

"Thank you sir" said Chrys, answering for all of them, Hasibul having bowed. "We sort of felt it was a rather unhealthy obsession with fortune telling though at least nobody here tries reading fortunes by fondling the innards of animals which really is a load of old tripe."

"Chrys, you dragged that in solely to make the awful pun" said David. "And I think as you are all so very fond of teacups it might be a nice gesture if each of you got up to make Miss Spikenard a cup of tea in bed for the next er eight days; I don't insist on it, but I do point out it would be a nice gesture. The elves will take the cup for you Gryffindor boys and those of you from other houses."

"Yessir!" said Chrys; to whom, as to all marauders, the Headmaster's suggestion was as the law of the Medes and Persians.

And Hazel was a trifle mollified that the perpetrators had some measure of imposition.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The term was well under way and the Belle Marauders were idling on the beach in New Zealand discussing the newest layer of Marauders because that was what Saturdays were for; and Mimi was paying less than full attention.

"Wake up Mimiwobbles, I've asked you three times whether you didn't think this year's intake isn't about the best overall we've had barring a few aberrant ones" said Bella, poking her friend. "You aren't PREGNANT are you?"

"Not unless I've become prey to immaculate conception" said Mimi "Like you and Assim, Darryl and I are behaving ourselves though I wouldn't answer for all our confederates."

"Leo's too busy in the German school to get up to many high jinks" said Drusillina "though I think it's mostly on purpose so we don't go too far."

"Fabian is too much a gentleman" said Maud, mournfully.

"So Chad and I are the only ones going a bit further than quiet fumbling are we?" said Isabel brightly.

"Looks like" said Bella "Hope your potioneering is up to scratch."

"You know it isn't" said Isabel "Fortunately Chad's is."

"He's a satire and song writer; bohemian. You can't expect him to behave" said Bella indulgently. "And by the way WHY are you in a brown study, Mimi?"

"Because Darryl is listening intently to a racist who's wrapping up his filth in the clean linen of quidditch similes" said Mimi "I can't pick up details but Darryl does project most awfully well."

"It's from the time you took him apart and put him back together" said Bella nodding wisely "It's almost akin to the deep joining. I take it he's going to do something about it?"

"You bet" said Mimi "He's just discovered that France's own Gerhardt Grindelwald is none other than Achille Crouch-Villeneuve."

"What that nasty little swab? No!" said Bella.

"But yes" said Mimi. "And no big surprise really when you recall what he was like; he'd enjoy being a dictator."

"Him and whose bollocks to make him dare?" said Bella scornfully.

"I expect that he grew the semblance of balls when there were no scary English little girls around" said Drusillina.

"Miaow" said Maud.

"Not half true though" said Isabel.

"Darryl's answering the speaker" said Mimi "He's explaining what Achille was like at school; he has them laughing. And shocked; I think he just told them about the git casting the cruciatus curse on you, Bellabuttons."

"I suppose it's no worse than Mimiwobbles" said Isabel, irrelevantly of this new nickname.

"'cause it isn't Izzywiggles" said Drusillina.

"Lumme, and to think I used to dislike having so plain and short a name as Maud; at least you can't do anything to THAT" said Maud in satisfaction.

"Give us time" said Drusillina.

"Ah, the git has challenged Darryl to a duel; actually the bastard hit him but Darryl is being all the smarmy cad of an English gent in full sails akimbo" said Mimi.

"Mixed metaphors there but never mind" said Bella "when? Dawn or straight away?"

"After lunch; an Englishman never tackles a duel on an empty stomach" said Mimi.

"Well that's a load of cobblers" said Isabel.

"Yeah, but can't you just hear Darryl Zabini saying it with his best sneer?" said Drusillina.

They conceded the point and went in search of their own meal as thinking about it made them hungry early and the elves might be wheedled into providing a picnic.

oOoOo

The Belle Marauders finished their homework quietly and with some small qualms over Darryl's safety fighting one of the treacherous types that one might expect to consider Achille Crouch-Villeneuve to be all right.

"He'll be fine, Mimiwobbles" said Drusillina rather too brightly "He taught himself non-verbal and wandless casting after all."

"Of course he will; no question!" said Bella fiercely, putting an arm around her diminutive friend.

"I know that but I know it in the same trying-to-convince myself tone you to spoke in" said Mimi "Because he's all alone in a strange place surrounded by the French who are chocolate cauldrons most of them at the best of times."

"Well if we're aware we can bounce anything for him" said Bella stoutly.

Darryl was, they could all feel through Mimi, actually enjoying himself, playing for laughs and irritating his opponent.

"Oh I like that" said Mimi "He transfigured each lock of hair into a canary and had it fly away; the fellow is as bald as a coot."

"You wouldn't half need a big flock for Lucius" said Bella inconsequentially.

Darryl's insouciance was encouraging; though they all gasped when he took a wound to the face. He was half preoccupied with something.

"He's building the grid against the Killing curse" said Mimi " Because the creep called death duel; and completed in time, by Jove, here it hits!"

The diffused curse did little more than give Darryl a headache that they scarcely noted.

The duel lasted little longer; Mimi giggled.

"He's made a lightsabre; I say, he's just parried the killing curse with it; and it's reflected back to the fellow who cast it!"

"Lumme!" said Bella "I didn't know that was possible!"

"Nor did Darryl" said Mimi "He's reflecting how lucky it was that it didn't ricochet into the crowd; and he's awfully glad too that the creep effectively killed himself. So am I; I don't think Darryl was much looking forward to having to kill him, that was why he picked the lightsabre because it's then more a physical duel than with raw spell."

"Does it count?" asked Bella "Because you aren't supposed to have physical contact in a non-MSHG duel are you?"

"You aren't" said Mimi "But as it's a spell effect from the end of the wand you may obviously touch an opponent with a spell effect so it counts I think. Let's go and ask Flitters now Darryl is quite safe."

oOoOo

Professor Flitwick listened to the explanation and regarded the lightsabre Mimi made to demonstrate with delight.

"Remarkable idea, quite remarkable!" he said "Definitely a spell, definitely an effect of magic; summoning a sword would be against the rules if used conventionally, but this is definitely a spell effect and so quite within the rules; albeit a bit of a sophistry thereof. Still, there is technically nothing against summoning even something physical so long as there is no physical contact between the duellists; Dav….er, Professor Fraser's famous _'accio Dolmen' _that he used at his Triwizard is not technically outside the rules either."

"Or summoning a Manticore" said Bella enthusiastically "Or an ambush of Tigers!" being Bella she knew the correct collective nouns for tigers.

"Er, technically no, nothing against that" said Flitwick "Bella my dear, sometimes I do think you have tigers on the brain."

"Only one tiger and not, strictly speaking, the brain" said Bella dreamily.

Her friends all poked her; it was obligatory.

"Time to work on our lightsabres then" said Bella "Bags me a red one to be a slightly grubby Jedi!"

"Goes with the stripes in your hair too" said Drusillina "Oh hell what have I said?" as Bella squealed and hugged her.

"A STRIPY lightsabre!" said Bella.

"Insane of course" said Mimi. "An ambush of tigers?"

"I like it better than the other one which is a streak of tigers" said Bella "Because it kind of makes me think of tigers in dirty macs without any fur on which is sort of gross."

"It's just that you have a warped mind darling" said Drusillina.

"It's taken you this long to notice?" said Maud "Bella's always had a warped mind."

"Which sort of gives rise to a new collective noun about an obsession of tigers" grinned Isabel.

"Rotten lot" said Bella equably.

Flitwick shook his head smiling indulgently; how unwarped Bella Black's mind was by comparison to the sad and nasty little girl she had been the first time she had grown up, with the influence of Tom Riddle in her life. She was a lovely child – young woman really, now – and he wished her all the best.

They wandered up to the common room singing 'tiger feet' and improvising dances to it.

"Is it too much to ask that the head girl actually maintain a small degree of decorum and dignity?" demanded Xanthia Fawcett.

"On a Saturday after having heard some rather disturbing news? Yes" said Bella "And our celebration that a friend has not been hurt by a bunch of French terrorists is harming you in what way?"

Fawcett regarded her with disfavour.

"And you had the cheek to tick ME off about being childish?" she said.

"The difference being that I'm being childish harmlessly amongst others of my own age who understand – or who ought to – the urges to let off steam; and YOU were being dangerously childish in public" said Bella coldly. "And if it had just been the 'childish' part do you think I'd have cared? It was the puerility of the way you didn't care who you jeopardised or whether you got arrested or no. Sometimes I actually wonder if you live in the same world as everyone else because you don't actually seem to have a clue about how to behave reasonably at all!"

"And snogging a teacher IS reasonable?"

"The one I'm betrothed to, yes" said Bella "Jilting him for McGonagall, no. But then I've never snogged McGonagall."

Fawcett made a noise of disgust and walked away; trying to talk to Bellatrix Black was like trying to wrestle with water!

"She reminds me of Lucius' peacocks" said Bella "Full of loud noises and vanity and pea-sized brains. Did you know – and not a lot of people know this – that the collective term for peacocks is an ostentation?"

"Well anything to do with Lucius is an ostentation especially posy pearlescent peacocks" said Drusillina "You have to admire Lucius Malfoy. It's compulsory."

Bella laughed, restored to good humour.

oOoOo

Sunday brought a visitor to the Headmaster in the person of a rather dried up little quaestor.

"I believe, Professor Fraser, you have a pupil named Ramsey Corbin in your school" he said.

"Yes I do; the child is in the first year" said David "What is the problem?"

"I fear I have some bad news to break to him" said the quaestor.

David paled.

"His mother? There is a problem?" he asked anxiously. Ramsey adored his brave little mother who did what she had to in order to keep the family house.

The quaestor blinked.

"Ah yes, of course, he must have a mother I suppose; he is the natural child of the late Peverel Corbin."

"Late? Peverel Corbin is dead?"

"I am afraid so" the quaestor came close to being unctuous.

"Oh well that's not such a problem for the child then" said David suddenly recalling that Lucius had suggested leaving this very matter in his hands "After all he scarcely knew Peverel; saw him once a year. Not such a shock as if anything had happened to his mother" he frowned at the quaestor "I trust he inherits the property in France? He won't be able to concentrate for worrying about the future of his mother if she is to be turned out of her family home."

The quaestor blinked.

"He is his father's sole heir" he said.

David nodded.

"So long as the poor child still has a home to go to" he said "And how did Peverel Corbin meet his end? Falling out of another man's wife?"

"Professor Fraser!" the quaestor was shocked "Mr Corbin fell tragically from his flying horse at a point-to-point yesterday! A terrible accident!"

"Oh? Well he always did embark on things with more ambition than skill" said David "It amazed me to learn that he had a child; I'd have thought he'd have needed a magnifying glass and a map to find the basic equipment. No sir, I did NOT like him; he could have caused the death of his little cousin who was a schoolchum of mine when we were at school together and I shall not pretend I regret his death. And equally I shall be circumspect before the boy."

"Er, quite" said the quaestor "I – er, speaking ill of the dead…"

"Being dead does not stop the man being an absolute cad" said David "Now are you about to say that Voldemort was a jolly good chap and thoroughly marvellous just because he's dead?"

"No of course not!" said the quaestor indignantly "It's hardly the same case!"

"Why not?" said David "The one thing that Voldemort had to distinguish him from Corbin was a modicum of brains and efficiency. Both were vain, self-seeking, cared nothing for anyone but themselves and were ready to exploit anyone for the furtherance of their own ambitions. Oh yes, and Voldemort also had enough charisma to attract the following that actually made him dangerous whereas Corbin always had about as much charisma and personality as a sewer rat. If he had been old enough I have no doubt that he would have become a death eater. He was expelled from Hogwarts you know, for experimenting with his rather turgid and inept concatenations of cacation on his younger cousin. I didn't miss him then and I don't miss him any more for his subsequent demise. And considering the bruises the lad had after being visited by his father I doubt he'll mourn much either" he added.

"Oh" said the quaestor. "Er, Mr Peverel Corbin's father is making arrangements to take the boy into his own household…."

"Excuse me?" said David "He wishes to uproot Ramsey and his mother from their family home where they have lived all the child's life without any input from the Corbins bar a yearly visit from Peverel?"

"Er…. There is no mention of the mother being taken into the Corbin house; though I expect arrangements might be made, if she is found to be an adequate housekeeper to maintain her in that position in the French property…" he quailed as David's eyes and scar blazed.

"Remove the child from his mother – who took the distasteful position as mistress to Peverel Corbin only to maintain a home in the family home she was forced to sell – and send him to strangers? Over a battle through the courts, neighbour! I SHALL apprise the child of his rights to demand protection of the school if that happens, and the school has rights then to appoint an appropriate guardian. And by the way, CORMAC Corbin has no say in whether Modestine LeBlanc is evicted or no since you have told me that the property belongs to Ramsey; perhaps it WOULD be better if he demands his rights to be the school's ward since then his House Head would be in charge of the administration of his property."

"Oh but surely Professor Flitwick will not wish…."

"Flitwick? Filius Flitwick is head of Ravenclaw; which is NOT Ramsey's house"

"Not – not Ravenclaw? But – but Corbins are ALWAYS in Ravenclaw."

"Grace was a Gryffindor with me actually" said David "And Ramsey is in Slytherin, under Madam Hardbroom; though I fancy it might be more appropriate to appoint her junior to being in charge of the boy; Professor Hawke Malfoy."

David felt a malicious pleasure in saying this; the man was plainly by his looks some kind of Corbin cousin.

The quaestor blinked several times.

"Dear me" he said mildly.

"Well, let me send for Ramsey" said David clicking his fingers for an elf.

oOoOo

"Ramsey, my boy" said David, putting an arm around the little boy "There is bad news about your father."

"My father? What has the creep done now?" demanded Ramsey "If he is hurting my mother again so help me I'll KILL him!"

"You're a little late" said David dryly "Fate intervened and he is dead of a fall from his horse."

"Oh good" said Ramsey "I say will that evil old father of his try to throw mummy and me out of the house? I met him once and he's NASTY!"

"You own the house" said David "And you are within your rights to demand the protection of the school as your legal guardian rather than go and live with Mr Cormac Corbin."

"I'd as soon drink erumpant urine through a straw then live with HIM!" said Ramsey, revolted.

"Do you choose to ask the school to be your guardian then and to administer your estate and permit, if you so will it, your mother to continue in residence since the administration can evict her if it wishes?" said David.

Ramsey regarded him levelly.

"I want it all in YOUR hands sir, so maman can continue in our house and I don't want my father's father to have anything to do with it or me" he said.

"You witness this statement of course" said David nodding to the quaestor "I will draw up the appropriate documents. Your father's quaestor here is now at your orders as I presume he is an executor of the estate?"

"I – yes" said the quaestor.

"Then you had better inform him of your wishes regarding the administration of any property other than the French house" said David "As he intimates that there is more. You may prefer not to know where the means to buy such came from."

"Was my father a crook then?" asked Ramsey, interested.

"Certainly not!" cried the quaestor.

"Let us say I find it hard to believe that a man who did not take any OWLs because he was expelled managed to become wealthy without a few shady deals" said David "And I DID hear rumours about black marketeering during the political upheaval that nobody could ever prove. However, you have inherited it cleanly enough."

"Well in that case, when I am grown up I shall find out about people who were harmed by black marketeering and give lots to them" said Ramsey. "Because I intend to do well at school so I shall be in a position to earn a clean living" and he looked scornfully at the quaestor.

"You are coming close to slander, Professor Fraser" said the quaestor.

"Funny" said David "I understood that in law you can't slander the dead. Besides, I repeat rumour; not state it as fact. DOES the lad have any more property bar his house in France?"

"Er, he owns a number of properties in England and er, in Germany" said the quaestor.

"Crumbs, did he cash in on the confusion over the overthrow of Odessa as well? WHAT a pill my father is – was!" said Ramsey "I say sir, if I place the administration in your hands, can you have it sorted out?" he looked appealingly at David.

"I can have it placed in the hands of a reputable Anwalt – a German quaestor – who acts for a friend of mine if you like" said David.

"And as executor of Mr Corbin's holdings may I ask who that friend might be?" asked the quaestor.

"Oh there's nothing to stop you ASKING old boy" said David "Whether I decide to answer so poisonously contumelious a question is another matter. But I shall tell Ramsey that the Frau Baronin Jade Von und Zu Strang und Luytens is the adopted daughter of Professor Snape of Prince Peak and an ex Slytherin like yourself. She's running a school in her old family home, for the impoverished in society so she has a well developed sense of social needs. I don't think you'll find her chosen Anwalt at all deficient in fulfilling both letter and spirit of your requirements."

"Excellent; I approve your choice sir" said Ramsey "Mr er, Corbin, pray see that all the proper documentation is delivered by elf courier to the address provided by my Guardian Professor Fraser."

"Of course Mr Corbin" said the man grinding his teeth "And my name is Blunt; it is my mother who is a Corbin."

"Ah, I see, Mr Blunt" said Ramsey. He did see and the quaestor, an effective poor relation, ground his teeth still further that Peverel Corbin had actually made a will in favour of this bastard brat and legitimised him with his name when he showed so little family feeling! And that sanctimonious bastard Fraser – what was wrong with profiting from upheaval? Anyone would think he held the Corbins in contempt!

As David DID hold the Corbins in contempt this was a very accurate thought.

oOoOo

The quaestor having left after passing – grudgingly – a list of properties to David, Ramsey said,

"I say sir, are ALL my father's family such ticks?"

David considered.

"No lad" he said "Mr Ransley Corbin is an upright, honest, and conscientious man; just as well as he is a governor of the school. And his younger two grandsons are decent enough; I never met their older brother that I recall, or if he was at school with me he left an indelible blank on my recollection."

Ramsey gurgled with mirth.

"So stuffy and pompous but mostly harmless?" he said.

"Just remember I never said so about a governor" said David. "We need to make sure that your mother is all right; if I was you I should write to her immediately in your own handwriting a notification of your father's death and your wishes as the owner of the property that she remain in residence in the French property – and name it fully – as its custodian under your name and as chatelaine in perpetuity for her lifetime. That protects her if Cormac is sending any type to try to evict her. I'll have an elf take it directly to her and I'll pick one that is capable of evicting anyone who might have got to her first" he added grimly. Ramsey gave him a startled look and wrote on the paper that David quickly passed him.

Tarri should see to this personally; she took no nonsense from anyone.

Including her supposed Master.

Ramsey skipped back to his classmates to inform them cheerfully that his rotter of a dad had managed to kill his stupid self falling off some nag and that he was now a ward of the school so sucks to his father's rotten family.

Drax Macnair, who knew all about rotten relatives, congratulated him and the whole of the Slytherin first bar Agatha and Deirdre, joined by substantial amounts of the Gryffindor first, sang 'for he's a jolly good fellow' and drank his health in butterbeer scrounged from the kitchen elves courtesy of Drogo who knew all the tricks of wheedling the Hogwarts castle elves.

oOoOo

"Y'know" said Lilith who was spending the Sunday on a moonlit beach in New Zealand, relieved that Jade's baby daughter had arrived safely during the week "As well as pearl shell there's oysters down there."

"So what? I don't like shellfish" said Sextus.

"Don't be so shellfish about shellfish" giggled Lilith "And actually I wasn't thinking about eating them; I thought we might dive down and confund them into opening and if there are any pearls inside whip 'em out; which won't hurt the oysters at all because when people normally fish for pearls they heave up any oysters they find and prize them open and thereby kill off a whole lot that don't have pearls in which is an awful waste. Especially when they usually don't eat them."

"It does sound a lot more efficient" said Sextus "What for do you need pearls, Halfpint? I thought you were rolling in money."

"Well that's not hardly the point, is it?" said Lilith "It's far more satisfying to have pearls won by the sweat of your own brow – does one sweat under water? – than only bought ones that someone else has been and gone and fished up and besides which they'll have done it in the killing of oysters manner. Pearls are an excrescence to oysters and acksherly they'll be glad to get rid of them so it's kind of something given willingly so I should think too they'd have a better chance of taking an enchantment too if we wanted to. You know!"

"It's a point" said Sextus.

"Could we persuade an oyster to have something mildly irritating put inside of it?" asked Kazrael "I mean, something that had been shaped to be significant in patterns to start off with, that when covered in pearl stuff to stop it irritating would be kind of more betterer for ritual?"

"It's something to consider if there was anything that made the pearl more significant than any other substance" said Lilith "But I suggest we just practise confunding them into letting us swipe pearls for now. It's worth bearing in mind though, and researching" she added.

"Heh, she just wants to dissolve them in vinegar like that Egyptian queen" said Venus.

"Cleopatra. And it's a myth" said Lilith.

"Yeah, 'cos pearls don't dissolve in vinegar" said Gennar.

"And I bet you've actually tried" said Jayashree.

"Yes of course I have" said Gennar "With the pearls of a house guest who was rude to my mum. It was damnably disappointing until dad saved the day."

"Lucius is always inventive" said Lilith "What happened?"

Gennar grinned.

"He said, 'dear me, the children appear to have been testing out that old story about dissolving pearls in vinegar as a snack Madam Montague; did you want to see if it tastes special?' and then he pulled out the string they were on and did something clever with magic to vanish the pearls somewhere else; and then she had hysterics because she DID believe in the story. And then he told her that they must have been fresh water pearls to dissolve so fast – dad spins a wonderful line – so he didn't have to compensate her so much and then he sold them for the marginalised women's fund. She left though which was the general idea" he added "And I think dad was quite pleased or he'd have docked my pocket money or grounded me or something. Ruddy woman foisted herself onto us by claiming distant relations in common and tried to take over mum Narcissa's running of the society, cheeky moo!"

"Rather" said Lilith "Some Females don't deserve any other way of describing them and with a capital Fe at that."

"Well when are we going to dive for pearls, Halfpint?" asked Sextus.

"Oh any old time" said Lilith "Isn't the moon gorgeous this afternoon? I like the full moon and it's almost like a big pearl itself hung in the velvet sky with diamond sparkles of stars. You only get really nice dark nights here in New Zealand because there's no light pollution; Hogwarts ain't bad but if you're unlucky you can still see the glow of Glasgow. Besides if you can't see Glasgow it's usually because there's heavy cloud."

"Huh, well, at least I get to be the one to give you pearls and there isn't going to be some other creep likening them to the moon and you to Diana the Huntress" said Sextus.

"Lumme, Sec, did YOU just liken me to Dianna aka Artemis?" said Lilith. "I didn't know you did the romantic stuff!"

Sextus burned.

"I don't" he said "And I didn't; it's just I can see some other clod trying to be romantic trying to do so. Which would be a damned fool thing to do because she was a bit of a cow."

"Yes she was, wasn't she?" said Lilith "Always killing people or turning them into animals or plants for really most awfully minor irritations so when she was really peeved over whichever dipstick it was who killed a doe that was really one of her ladies in waiting it didn't hardly show as any different to the one that accidentally caught sight of her bathing. And a goddess ought to have had better wards up if she didn't want to be seen in the altogether so it was her own fault" she added. "I don't think any of the Greek gods and goddesses were actually terribly savoury; most of them spent most of their er, eternity bed-hopping and doing unnatural things like getting people pregnant whilst in the form of a swan and swans are birds and birds have cloacas so I can't see how THAT answered."

"Acksherly, Half-Pint, male swans don't, they have retractable bits, and so do geese and some other big birds," said Sextus, "I looked it up because I always wondered how…" he burned.

"Well, you have to admit, getting it on with a human when you're a big smelly bird is a bit off," said Lilith, "and thanks, Sec, I didn't know that!"

"We don't often catch Lilith with something she doesn't know, I'm impressed, Sec," giggled Kazrael.

Sextus grinned ruefully.

"Prurient curiosity I suppose," he admitted. "Sex is all pretty silly, but some of the old Greek gods were sillier even than sixth formers."

"It does all sound rather icky" giggled Jayashree. "Hindi gods do silly things too so I reckon that the muggles who write about them just want their gods to be sort of fallible and so they're not unreachable."

"Pretty fair comment I reckon" said Lilith "Except some of their gods are probably based on witches and wizards and as we know them as like the adulation of others, even muggles, can be most awfully fallible. If you must decide at any time to use the classics our Sec, about the best is Circe who had a bad press because of the way the ancient Greeks viewed potioneers though she's still a bit of an equivocal character and I've always wondered whether the various sailors she turned into pigs ended up later on the menu as bacon which isn't very nice to think about."

"This is one reason I'm glad I never got lumbered with the classics" said Kazrael "Being ill educated has its uses; less to shock and worry you."

"Well there's just as much gruesome stuff in current religions" said Lilith "The Bible is just full of vice and murder and horrid things; like Jael who killed this fellow by banging a tent peg into him because he was an enemy general and she was pretending to be a collaborator. And it wouldn't have been a sharp metal skewer-like peg like we have nowadays, but a wooden one like the ones we have for the canvas tents for doing scouting stuff and I can't see how she killed him while he was asleep because y'know you put a bit of wood to his head and hammer and he wakes up and hollers because it's got to hurt."

"You worry too much about irrelevant crap Halfpint" said Sextus "I expect she got him paralytic first on fig wine and some potion to keep him well out."

"Well why didn't she just poison him then?" said Lilith.

"Terror tactics of course!" said Sextus "Y'know, poison might have been an accident and then the enemy just appoint another general; having a ruddy great tent peg in his head isn't going to be an accident and it's kind of demoralising."

"You're probably right" said Lilith.

"I preferred talking about pearls" said Jayashree "Less messy."

"Sorry Pusskin" said Lilith, kissing Jayashree fondly on the cheek. "Actually I think it's teatime so shall we go back to Hogwarts?"

This was voted a reasonable idea so they emerged into the junior cloakroom and dutifully signed out of New Zealand. After all they could go pearl fishing any time.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Pearl fishing occupied wet leisure periods for the Stripy Marauders though they enjoyed taking advantage of the windy moors in Scotland when the weather was what an Englishman would call 'clement' or rather when it was not actually raining. The pearl collections were compared and books were consulted about what made pearls different colours. It kept them out of further mischief which was, David reflected, just as well since Lilith loathed Xanthia Fawcett as much as the older girl loathed Lilith and the little snake animagus was quite capable of being irritating for its own sake, in the same way as he was fairly certain her father had been to equally discommode the more stuck up Ravenclaws of his own time at school. Not to mention the original Marauders.

Indeed Sirius confessed that the marauders had forced Severus to debate some obscure point with Cornelius – or as Sirius called him 'Farty' Fenwick at which point they were actually rooting for Severus because he was their plaything to tease and it was by way of teaching the Ravenclaws and their pet prodigy that the Marauders' pet swot could out-swot them.

"Which was awfully childish" admitted Sirius "But actually I think Scales quite enjoyed it; putting idiots in their place has always been a pet hobby of his."

David laughed ruefully and wondered what might have been different had only the Marauders and Severus managed to get some dialogue going out of that.

"Who won?" he asked.

"Severus of course; don't ask stupid questions!" said Sirius. "He's forgotten more about Arithmancy than the supposed expert has ever learned; and actually history repeats because as I recall it was a very high level discussion on where rubbish goes when you cast the vanishing spell. Which is one of Lilith's favourite topics, isn't it?"

"It's a Snape thing" said David cheerfully.

oOoOo

The mysteries of the shape and colour of pearls were more interesting to Lilith at the moment than arithmantic debate and she pored over downloads she begged Hugh Hulitt to make her from the internet about how diet and temperature as well as location affect colours and how pearls may form in different shapes and most natural pearls are called 'baroque' for not having a seed to grow around and so being decidedly irregular or 'off-round'. As it did not seem to harm the oysters the Stripy Marauders decided to try seeding their oysters for more pearls and studied assiduously to that end. After all it hurt nobody and gave them hours of harmless amusement. It would take two years for their seeded oysters to have produced decent pearls, but as Lilith said, they were not going anywhere in the meantime. And besides it would give them practise in control spells to poke their oysters into making better nacre to cover the things because you had to start small and actually controlling something as dim as an oyster had to be harder than controlling say a dragon.

"Which has no point because dragons don't produce pearls" giggles Jayashree.

"You poor prune" said Lilith "It's about due for Dragons to be used again in the Triwizard and I'm jolly well putting my name in. Just on principle."

"Well if the ruddy thing accepts you, you've got the best chance" said Sextus "The lower sixth of this year are pretty mediocre; best is Nigel Baddock now he's bucked up, and Roger Blake and – heaven help us – Kevin Slugworthy."

"The Slug is all right" said Lilith "But you're right; I am way better than any of them I think; I'm not being stuck up and fatuously vain am I?"

"No" said Gennar. "My sister Zajala is MY best bet for the upper sixth as it will be but she ain't Gorbrin. The thing is Sec, they're not really mediocre; that does them down. There's a load of solid 'O' average, five-NEWT students. But none of them actually SHINES. Of course the lower sixth next year will have Marauders; U-May, Tobala, Charis, Isambard, Nathan, Jingjie and Wanda."

"Jingjie's a good possibility" said Lilith "Did you think I ought to confund the ruddy goblet to give him his chance like Barty Crouch did for Harry?"

"It would be kind of more sporting" said Gennar. "Especially as you'll still be here for the next competition too by right on account of you being stupidly young."

Lilith beamed.

"I did rather hope to be the only person in history to hold two Triwizards" she said.

"Greedy" said Sextus.

"Yes" said Lilith.

oOoOo

Meanwhile Lucy was settling in and was busy forgetting that she had ever NOT been a part of the wizarding world; she still had gaps in her education but the other Hunting Marauders had done things like tell her all the old popular fairy tales and nursery rhymes to fill in the gaps in her cultural heritage. They also ran through the most popular publications with her – Lucy had not got over being fascinated that the pictures moved – and who was who in society. They used the so-called society magazines to give her the chance to recognise famous persons; though as Richard said snidely the idea of fame of the idiots who published such things was more about glitz and wealth and glamour than the things in life that counted; and that they were interested in the Snapes solely because his mum had got her hands on the fortune of the Riddle family – which was of course shared, he added hastily, with Salazar and Rose – and so were seen in fashionable robes; rather than in his parents' extremely erudite contributions to the fields of potioneering, chanting and transfiguration or his sister Jade's contribution to Ancient Rune translation.

"They care more that my sister Grace married one of the bachelors of the year, Draco Malfoy than that Dad reintroduced chanting to the wizarding world" he said scornfully "And like to get stupidly excitable about the dark reputation blood magic has over his book 'Blood magic, Love Magic' rather than actually bother to read it and find out that it's about how they helped Harry by bleeding for him and taking deadly wounds spread out that would have killed him if he hadn't had the blood bond with them. It's a most awfully profound book but nobody among these silly fools reads much beyond the title because it's actually too difficult for them. He's always getting stopped and asked if any ill effects of risking dark magic have manifested and he's got so sick of trying to explain that it WASN'T dark magic he's taken to saying 'apparently yes as you've been spawned spontaneously' which might take them a while to work out but at least makes Dad feel better."

Lucy chuckled. She had been given the entire history of Harry Potter and all the new marauders-to-be had heard of the blood group and what marauders do explained to them; and Lucy had no qualms about joining her blood with the others one day. Uncle Severus was a tremendously clever man and she could see why he would be irked by the inability to appreciate just how clever he was by the chattering fools. The social magazines were much the same as those they had in the hairdresser's shop she had frequented; things like 'Hello' and 'Okay' which had pictures of famous people she had never heard of and cared less about. And judging by Richard's look of bafflement at some of the people featured in 'Witch Weekly', 'Sparkle' and 'Alohamora!' presumably some of the celebrities of the wizarding world were also famous for being famous too. Uncle Lucius sneered regularly from the pages of all sorts of periodicals usually attached to some snide quote or because he was asked for his view and gave it only too truthfully. He made a statement on the death of Peverel Corbin, as it had occurred at a point-to-point Lucius was himself attending. He had said 'it couldn't have happened to a nicer person' and when pressed to explain that negative attitude had explained – forcefully – that as Peverel Corbin had been expelled from Hogwarts for torturing a junior in the person of Draco's wife Grace the papers could hardly expect him, Lucius, or any of his family to feel any degree of sorrow or regret for the death of a louse.

What had NOT been printed was that one cub reporter had asked Lucius if he had arranged the death of Mr Corbin; which had left him feeling about ten years old and a foot high when Lucius Malfoy had said very quietly that he hoped that if he even considered saying such a thing in public, let alone printing it, that his standing with his editor was VERY good since that was as pretty a case of libel as anyone had seen this century or was likely to.

After all, there was not a shred of proof that Lucius had had anything to do with it. The power of twenty-three factorial was considerable and not widely known and frankly Corbin's heart had not needed much encouraging to burst at high altitude; for a man who considered himself a sportsman he did NOT take good care of himself. And now young Ramsey and his mother were safe from him; and Lucius had no regrets. Admitting to that however was an entirely different matter!

Lucy however was entirely unaware of Lucius' involvement in the matter and asked Richard if he knew about this horrid man who had tortured Uncle Lucius' daughter-in-law.

"Know? I'll say I know!" said Richard "It's my sister Grace he's talking about; dad adopted her on the strength of how badly treated she was by her wonderful, socially well connected erudite Corbin family you know; Peverel poisoned her to test some rotten potion he'd invented only from what I've heard he made potions the way a garden gnome cooks fairy cakes; not very well. I shouldn't actually" he added thoughtfully "Have put it past Uncle Lucius to have killed him if he thought he could get away with it; on account of how Draco really couldn't, not with him being an auror. Though Draco might have been able to force a duel on him" he added. "If he'd been spending the next hundred years as a sheep he couldn't be much trouble to anyone. But Draco's always treated him with icy hauteur; and dad makes sure never to meet him because if he did he'd just lay him out the good old fashioned muggle way. I say good riddance to bad rubbish and all the best to Ramsey; that's HIS dad we were celebrating the death of."

"Oh that makes it clearer now" said Lucy "Sounds like he was an all round rotter."

"Rather" agreed Richard.

"And if Dad pushed, nobody will ever find out; he's too good" said Drogo "And anyone in their right mind wouldn't even ask; terribly bad form."

"Like anyone actually CARES enough to ask" said Teddy "Corbins – our year excepted and Grace not counting – tend to be awful stuck up."

"Funny you should say that" said Drogo "My sisters Griselen and Genavka rate the Corbin twins; and I think that m'sister Zajala is a bit sweet on Hugin Corbin – that's one of the twins, our Lucy – especially since he signed up to be an auror with Gorbrin and Mel. Shouldn't be surprised to see more of Hugin at Malfoy Manor. Besides he gets on all right with Gorbrin. His twin's a bit pompous but you can't have everything."

"Funny" said Teddy lazily "I thought that having everything was one of the Malfoy family ambitions."

"Don't be silly Ted" drawled Drogo "Where would we put it?"

"In wizarding space, oh brother mine" grinned Varjak.

Drogo grinned at him and draped an arm around his shoulders and Lucy marvelled at how Varjak managed to look every inch a Malfoy despite not actually being a relation and not even being human; it was the expression and the hairstyle. Drogo grinned at her.

"When we're blooded we can do what the Malfoy twins did – that's Professor Hawke Malfoy and his brother Abraxus, on account of how Hawke was actually adopted" he said "Though probably related somewhere down the line. They sort of merged looks with miniature transfigurations; and though Varjak doesn't want to be made genetically dad's son with a ritual because that disrespects his real father who was a hero, we want to be more alike. Because we ARE brothers."

"Magic can do some pretty amazing things" said Lucy.

"Yeah, the grownups who are too hidebound to experiment find it hard to cope with what Marauders come up with" said Varjak.

oOoOo

As term wore on towards Halloween there were the beginnings of the inevitable rumblings about the Yule Ball. The Stripy Marauders and their class were to go this year; and Sextus and Lilith cared not a jot for the romantic maunderings of anyone else because they were to go together and their gowns would even tone since they were wearing the same gowns they had worn as bridesmaid and page at Sextus' father's wedding, made over – mostly by Lilith with help from her mother – to make sure they were bang up to date. As Krait said, being rich these days was no excuse to be profligate. Sage green and black were nice, understated tasteful colours that brought out Sextus' green eyes and flattered Lilith's red curls.

In their set, Gennar was going with Kazrael, and they were more or less an item too; and Lilith had ruthlessly organised James Malfoy and Paris Bullivant into going with the other two Marauders, Jayashree and Venus, and Jayashree's fellow rakshasa Mohini into going with Heath Barbary. Gareth Rookwood, whom she considered a friend enough to take an interest in she ruthlessly sorted out with the half goblin Maia Pleiades as Gareth had been firmly friendly with the girl to try to dispel the whispers about his name as that of a prominent deatheater that had been spread in their first year.

This left the mildy irritating, though much improved, Michelle Makepiece in Slytherin so Lilith took the bull by the horns and asked Hubert McLaggan if he would not take the girl as he had a better chance of out-talking her than anyone else.

"Coming from you, Snape, that's rich" said McLaggan who had also improved somewhat after a sobering conversation with the portrait of James Potter on the nature of bullying by heartiness.

"Yes I know" said Lilith "But Sextus kind of manages to handle me so I'm not entirely irrepressible. I feel sort of sorry for Makepeace; she doesn't actually seem to know how to enjoy herself and I think her experiences of slavery have left a sort of hardness inside her. And you don't actually take offence easily because you've got a hide like an erumpant so – sorry, that was awfully tactless, I do TRY to be tactful you know" she added mournfully.

"It's all right brat; I guess I'm used to you" said McLaggan "You mean you want someone to take her who isn't going to be hurt if she addresses them like a public meeting not a dance partner?"

"That's about the size of it" said Lilith "Stupid waste of time at our age if you ask me."

"Certainly your age" said McLaggan "Can't say I'm looking forward to it; I say, haven't you had trouble in your house with Makepeace again?"

"Not exactly" said Lilith "There's a first year who's a bit of a tick; mostly it's goblins she don't like which for a half-blood is coming it a bit rich when her dad got helped out by, among others, goblins in the pogrum years; maybe she's got a babyhood memory like Darryl Zabini had, because goblins and elves dragged him away from his dad's dead body but Tremlet's dad has no excuse to back such silliness; and she's decided to be racist about all non-humans just to be annoying. Which did her NO favours when she refused to acknowledge she was even being spoken to by my sister when Mimi dished her out lines so she spent a couple of hours as a woodlouse instead for saying that she only noticed people. This was, wonder of wonders, because Mimi was standing up for Makepeace who was being unwontedly tolerant; years of nagging HAVE got through to her. So I figured she deserved a partner who does at least stand for the right sort of things without being an intolerably pompous stuffed robe like Hector Weasley; and she's scared of Julian in case he has another seer attack and you're the only three Gryffs and I'd already sorted out the Slythers and none of Sec's friends could cope with her. If you won't I'll ask Dunbar Finch and ask him to be boring about the rights of muggleborn."

McLaggan grinned.

"I'm tempted to cry off because that might be amusing to listen to; but I'll do what everyone else does and fall in with your irritatingly managing suggestions Halfpint."

"Thanks McLaggan; but I'd sort of rather you didn't call me that; it belongs to Sec you know."

"Crumbs, you aren't a case with him at YOUR age are you?" said McLaggan.

"Hubert you dip, I decided I was going to have Sec when I first met him in Diagon Alley. FAR better to decide who you're going to marry before all that stupid hormonal sex crap older people go in for sneaks up and attacks me!" said Lilith.

Hubert actually blushed!

oOoOo

Bella had been in consultation with Assim Khan over the ball; which was to say had got as far as talking to him after a passionate kiss with a lot of purring, mock growling and nibbling.

"Fawcett has seen us snogging because she said so" said Bella "So discretion is now quite pointless; because she's the only one in the year who's actually spiteful enough to do anything about it. I wrote to Cissy to ask her to place the announcement of our betrothal in the various papers and I thought we could ask Fido to announce it and then we may as well go to the ball together. I don't trust the silly cow not to try to get at me by sneaking to the papers whereas if it's all official and Dennis Creevey has a scoop about our intent to teach in India together, human interest story etc there's bugger all she can do."

"Hrrr" said Assim. "You may be right, Bella; indeed I think you are. I have done nothing to be ashamed of and nor have you; it is better to be open now. You are, after all, over seventeen. Physically in this form as well as technically from your previous existence."

Bella giggled having been about to mention that.

"Well let's go and see Fido" she said.

oOoOo

David listened to Bella's explanation as to why she wanted to release the information now and nodded.

"I'll make the announcement at teatime" he said "Have you a ring to wear?"

"I have one that I have been waiting to give her" said Assim "I wanted to propose formally."

Bella squealed with delight.

"OOH you romantic!" she declared. "Let's go straight back to your room and you can propose and then I can wear it in school so everyone will KNOW you belong to me!"

"Isn't that YOU belonging to ME?" said Assim in his purry growly voice.

Bella giggled.

"Whatever!" she said airily.

She was satisfied with the proposal – on one knee in time honoured fashion – and squealed with more delight at the ring which was carved in its entirety from the red form of Tiger's Eye.

"I could give you expensive jewels, little Bella, but this caught my eye and I thought of you, and how symbolic it is" said Assim.

He had to give up any further speech because Bella leapt on him to kiss him.

David banged on the table for silence at tea.

"I have been asked to make a most pleasant announcement" he said "It may be the worst kept secret in the school that Professor Assim Khan and Bellatrix Black have a long standing betrothal – with the blessing I may add of Bella's guardians, her sister Narcissa Black Malfoy and Lucius Malfoy – but Lucius feels that it is now appropriate to make the news public, so I have great pleasure in announcing the official betrothal of Assim Khan and Bella Black, who will after the end of this year both be leaving us to teach in India setting up a school for impoverished witches and wizards there; and by the by my congratulations too, to Sampta and Sita Patil who will be joining their staff. It's a brave move. I understand that the happy couple are planning to be wed at Yule in order to be ready to leave for India to start making arrangements for their school as soon as Bella's exams are over."

David had spoken to Lucius who had mentioned this possibility.

"I thought we were all going to be married together!" said Maud indignantly.

"Hush darling, we'll be back for the wedding of the year" said Bella "Only Assim's mother will make waves if we aren't married but are setting up school together; they're frightfully proper and stuffy in India. Unless you four get wed at Yule too."

"Ours are all too busy" said Mimi "At least mine is; he has a little Nazi problem in France, remember?"

Julian Bode shot to his feet and spoke in a harsh voice.

"The Rising Sun turns to the wisdom of the Ancient Ones" he cried "He shall seek for the wisdom of the moon that the ibis-headed one has written down to seek for immortality!"

He fell to the floor in a faint.

"Oy, Lilith, you might translate that gibberish!" said Venus Nightingale going to the boy. He was her classmate after all.

Lilith stood.

"The ibis headed one is Djehwty, called in modern transliteration Thoth" she said "Thoth was associated with the moon and was the master of Magic and Arithmancy and Engineering and he raised sundry gods of Ancient Egypt from the dead. Achille Crouch Villeneuve, self styled Sun King is quite keen as I understand on Ancient Runes and might even have a cat's chance in hell of reading the fabled Book of Thoth if it exists and if he actually managed to find it. Reading it supposedly made one able to understand the speech of animals and other stuff but it's a long time since I read the legends. I expect that Professor Babbling knows more about it and I say, Bode looks awful, hadn't you better take him to the hospital wing? He HATES being a seer poor scrote."

Hubert McLaggan – who was actually faintly in awe of Julian – helped Venus half carry the boy until Madam McGonagall lifted him with a quick spell and took him away.

The school was in uproar.

David banged on the table.

"There is no need for all this disturbance" he said, using a sonorous spell "Julian is unfortunate to be afflicted with the curse of true sight; I am sure I can rely on all of you not to make an issue of it. His classmates may discuss quietly and sensibly what he said and Lilith's interpretation which for my limited knowledge of Egyptology and runes seems fair; the tale of the Book of Thoth was fabled even in Ancient Egypt, because I recall reading a muggle children's book retelling of Egyptian tales and fables that mentioned it. Darryl Zabini has the situation of French Supremacists well in hand. Mimi, I suspect you and Darryl may be spending sundry holidays haring about Egypt; you might want to let him know that speaking Arabic would be advantageous. And if anyone actually expected the problem of small minded would-be dictators to go away with Odessa, I fear it was a forlorn and naïve hope. It's nothing however to get excited about; we are all aware that Achille harbours some resentment over his having been asked to leave Hogwarts but no doubt we are more than capable of rising to the challenge of blocking any of the meagre efforts of a poor student with delusions of adequacy should he feel in the same league as Odessa. I think it's a far more important piece of news that the elves have created a mighty betrothal cake for Assim and Bella and it's about to be brought in. Naturally a piece will be saved for poor Julian" he added.

The juniors certainly considered that their teachers and prefects could get betrothed any time they wanted with the presentation of the rich confection the elves had cooked up; as a friend of the free elf Mimi, Bella was one of those who was popular in the kitchens for her unfailing courtesy to elves.

oOoOo

"Let's see the ring then" said Sampta, in the senior common room. Bella displayed her left hand proudly.

"Well I must say, he must be a gold-digger after the fabled Black wealth" sneered Xanthia Fawcett, who could not resist peering "Nothing but a semi-precious stone; not a diamond in sight!"

"You ARE middle class, aren't you, you poor prune?" said Bella "Do you think that for two people as obscenely wealthy as Assim and I are the display of that in precious stones actually counts for anything? Unlike you, we actually have enough understanding of magic to pick symbology over ostentatious display of conspicuous consumption; there are magical resonances in the gift of this ring far too profound for your pea-sized brain to actually manage to understood even if I bothered to explain in words of one syllable with a four-page arithmantic formula written out to make it pellucidly clear."

"MOST of us would be lost by that; be fair Bella" said Sampta "And as you aren't taking Arithmancy to NEWT that's scary."

"I know the stuff I need to know" said Bella "And I leave the calculation to Mimi; she can explain it well enough for me to follow which is all I need. Only Fawcett just hasn't got a clue that you actually USE Arithmancy for things any more than she has a clue that you use Runes for things; which is why it's kind of surprising that Achille Crouch-Villeneuve thinks he can be a dictator because I didn't think HE knew that you actually used knowledge in the real world either."

"He knows enough to want the Book of Thoth" said Mimi "I looked it up in a book of Egyptian legends; it's supposed to be buried with Prince Neferkaptah who was the first one to read it and whose ka warns others not to, because although you supposedly get to talk to the animals and have power over the earth and the sky, the gods punish you by killing off all your loved ones until you take it back."

"Well Achille doesn't love anyone but himself so he might feel he's safe" said Bella.

"It's also in a series of locked boxes inside each other and the key to each hidden disparately and cursed or whatever" said Mimi. "If it actually exists which is not certain."

"I say" said Maud "I KNOW we're beyond the sort of japes that one might pull on schoolkids but can't we sort of make a Book of Thoth to fool Achille and have those of you who are good at it fake up a tomb with instructions in hieroglyphs in riddles to make him go haring around Egypt after spurious keys and when he actually opens the boxes and reads the book it's a collection of Convolvumort speeches in hieroglyphs?"

"WOW!" said Bella "Absolutely brilliant! And that ought to sort of occupy his mind so he can't try to take over France because he'd be obsessed with finding his ruddy book first. There you go, Mimiwobbles; holiday tasks for you and Darryl."

"It has a certain charm" said Mimi. "I'm going to write to Darryl anyway warning him of this prophecy. Is Bode all right by the way, does anyone know?"

"More than likely" said Isabel "Venus is looking after him; she's a good kid and another Marauder."

"You Marauders are pathetic" said Fawcett.

"Funny" said Bella "Voldemort and Gerhardt Grindelwald don't think so."

Fawcett stormed off again.

"Hang on" said Bella, running after her "Fawcett" she said

"What?" Fawcett snapped; but she turned round.

Bella held her eyes.

"The plans of marauders aren't worth considering or acting upon" she said "Achille has no need to know what we might do."

"The plans of marauders aren't worth considering or acting upon" said Fawcett obediently "Achille has no need to know what you might do."

"Run along" said Bella.

Fawcett continued on her way.

"I say Bella that was a bit….. well, extreme" said Sampta.

"She's likely to rat us up to Crouch-Villeneuve purely out of spite; and if we DO decide to send him on a wild goose chase that could mean he's concentrating on real issues and that could mean race war in France" said Bella "It's a light compulsion not to talk about it or send an owl to him; not like modifying her memories you know."

"Basic Jedi mind tricks," murmured Mimi.

"I suppose the casual way you do it and the tame way she accepted it is a bit shocking; you're right of course" said Sampta. "As Lilith was to stop that horrid child Goshawk spreading lies about poor Wintringham. You Marauders take the hardest things so casually."

"Because we push our abilities to the limit" shrugged Bella. "Well I vote we get Lilith to do most of the Hieroglyph design and I'm going to rope in Lucius as well. Because it IS a bloody good idea our Maud; and an excellent diversion to the creep to give Darryl a better chance to train some French resistance against him."

"So long as you don't involve the rest of us" said Miriam Moonshine of Hufflepuff "And by the way I like your ring."

"Thanks!" said Bella "No, things like this are for volunteers only. And for that matter, volunteers who also actually know what they're talking about which means we get to take orders from Lilith; oh joy. Except maybe Mimi."

"Oh I'll take orders from Lilith over Hieroglyphs" said Mimi "I know enough for my 'O' grade average but I don't pretend to be in the same class as her."

oOoOo

Lilith considered deeply.

"A preserving charm on the gold inner box – it is a gold inner box isn't it? Yes I thought so – would be convincing so that we don't have to distress the papyrus too much" she said "And can have the colours bright and fair too. We need papyrus; I think muggle tourist shops in Egypt actually sell it. Or maybe we can get it online. I can do that; and isn't Mafalda good at riddles and things? Perhaps she'd help even though she isn't actually a Marauder and had you ever considered recruiting her?"

"I hadn't" said Bella answering the last "She's a bit of a loner."

"Well she might just change her mind" said Lilith "Anyway if she can come up with riddles – she's taking Ancient Runes to NEWT anyway, isn't she, so she'll know how to make puns in Ancient Egyptian – we can get a nice cave and fit it up as a tomb, nick an early unidentified mummy to be Neferkaptah and Bob's your uncle."

"Can we nick a mummy so easily?" asked Bella anxiously.

"Rather" said Lilith "I'm an official fan of Dr Zahi Hawass online – he's a muggle archaeologist – and Cairo museum is so huge and has so much stuff they don't actually know exactly WHAT they have. It'll be easy; Lucius will do it. He'll cough up for any expenses too just for kicks and giggles. He REALLY dislikes Achille you know for trying to rape Erica and for casting the cruciatus curse on you. Anything to piss him off he'll be game for. And nobody plays misdirection like Lucius; he'll take Mafalda's riddles and add whole new layers to them too. It'll be a breeze. There's only one difficult bit."

"What's that?" asked Bella

"Dropping the hint to Achille where to find the damn tomb" said Lilith.

"Is it too easy to have an eminent Runes expert mention that they have clues to the fabled Book of Thoth and the location of Neferkaptah's tomb in an article in 'Translations and Text'?" asked Drusillina laconically.

"Brilliant!" said Lilith "And I bet he doesn't actually know that Jade is Nefrita Von Strang und Luytens, and even if he does he would so like to steal a march on her. I'll get her to write an article as soon as Lucius has a tomb for us, and refer to a text which we can insert into a muggle museum. No sweat! If she says that she was blown away to see the very clues she needed on a piece of text displayed in Berlin by muggles….. of course it might mean other treasure hunters go looking too but perhaps people could put a repelling spell on it for anyone not called Achille or something."

"Subtle but not out of the capabilities of Lucius" said Bella. "Sorted!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Meantime the riding lessons had proved very popular and Arkott was delighted that his authority would be backed by the headmaster to make sure none of the posh kids behaved badly with his beloved horses. He found the Malfoy children in particular to be very respectful and to know exactly what they were doing. Quite a lot of the children had ponies at home and David and Arkott were in discussion over whether to permit them to be stabled – for a fee – at the school or whether it would be something that would make the children who relied on borrowing the school mounts feel in any way belittled. The Malfoy children, the horsiest family in the school bar the Chevalliers, made no complaint about having their own horses; since most of them tended to hold the family mounts much in common save the very horsy, like Penelope, who sighed faintly but accepted the strictures, especially since David had decreed that Hogwarts would NOT enter teams or individuals in term time gymkhanas. Penny spent a lot of her free times in the stables getting to know all the mounts, usually followed by her satellites Darius, Drax and Ramsey. Ramsey and Darius were expecting to be quite good at the study of magical beasts and liked to help muck out; Drax went along mostly because his friends did, though Professor Hagrid had taken a shine to another young half-giant despite the boy's name, and the associations it had. Drax's grandfather had been the one who had been supposed to execute Buckbeak; but as the boy had been obviously in with the set of small limbs Hagrid knew were nice children he had been open minded as well as sympathetic towards a fellow half giant. Drax therefore did not mind working with magical beasts because he liked the teacher, and liked too to be with his friends even in such dirty jobs as mucking out. He also enjoyed Herbology however, and unless he really took a shine to the subject of Beastcare after half term intended sticking with that. Ramsey and Penelope also enjoyed Herbology and had every intention of trying to negotiate taking both subjects; it was one of the pairings that was up for negotiation. And if Ramsey was chary about negotiating, Penny was not; Malfoys were rarely backward about coming forward, even adopted Malfoys, and Penny had blossomed from the shy monosyllabic child Lucius had first adopted to being a self confident little girl and a definite daughter of the house.

The first years were looking forward to Halloween; there would be a turnaround of lessons then to see what else they might enjoy as well as there being a long weekend and a Halloween party. Halloween, a Friday, was itself a holiday and the prefects organised all sorts of indoor games as the weather was inclement and beach parties in New Zealand were somehow inappropriate for a winter festival. The first and second years had a treasure hunt for chocolate frogs while the third and fourth years had a competition to unravel the anagrams of the various famous wizards that had been pinned up about the school, with a prize for the most correct answers. Most people got 'Lemnir', Merlin; and 'The Sly Snazalarri' because only Salazar Slytherin had an 'z' in his name – which had Lilith quoting Shakespeare in _King Lear_, "oh whoreson z, thou unnecessary letter' – and a bit of puzzling had 'Sosump' reorganised into 'Mopsus'. Harder were such gems as 'Us the kurl the ladl' which was Thaddeus Thurkell famous for producing seven squib sons and turning them into hedgehogs, and 'Fool her the pu' which was Herpo the Foul.

Unsurprisingly the champion of the middle school was Lilith though with Chrys Lockhart as a near runner up.

"Snapes and words" said Sextus who had come third.

Lilith counted the number of sweeties in her box and discovered there were enough for one each in the third and fourth and a few over for her and so promptly shared them out; which as Priscilla Fawcett of the older Fawcett twins said ruefully was why you couldn't actually dislike Snape as much as sometimes you would like to.

It may be noted that Sonia Goshawk in Lilith's own year refused a sweet, having been the victim of a compulsion from Lilith not to tell lies or suffer headaches; and the number of headaches Sonia had suffered had not improved her feelings towards Lilith. Lilith shrugged and ate it herself. She had no time for the unpleasant and those not prepared to try to improve their bad behaviour.

The answers were read out for those who wanted to know and there were many groans over the ingenuity of the prefects!

oOoOo

The Stripy Marauders decided to leave it a few days after the Halloween party to let the excitement die down before pulling their jape on the senior common room; because it was as well not to have too many treats all on top of each other because they fell flat in that case.

Jayashree ventured to suggest that dancing on the ceiling might not be considered universally to be a treat but was over-ruled by the others who thought it would be high fun for the combined sixth. They gave them a couple of weeks to recover from the Halloween weekend and picked a day that was dismal and needed cheering up in the middle of November.

They duly performed their magical evolutions in the lunch hour when nobody was likely to go to the senior common room – being too busy – and made sure to lurk after school when most of the sixth threw themselves into the common room for a cup of tea or coffee before prep began.

It was hilarious.

As each sixth former went through the door there was a startled squawk, followed by sounds of the tiger rag. Xanthia Fawcett set up an awful screech, which caused Bella and co to charge in the door without actually taking the sort of precautions sounds of mild distress and the Tiger Rag might normally have caused them to take. Bella squealed in surprise too, along with her friends and then the sounds of dancing and giggling were to be heard.

"You did it!" screeched Xanthia "You horrid marauders YOU set this up!"

"Not I" said Bella "Nor indeed we as you might say – well you might if you had the advantage of enough intellect to use grammar which you haven't. It's nicely done and a lovely tribute to use that music. And for the benefit of those of you who don't know what it is, it's called 'Tiger Rag'. I'll see if I can't figure out how to get us down and gently; somehow I suspect it's beyond _finite incantatem_ and I also don't want to reverse gravity with too much of a bump."

"It PROVES you did it if you know how to reverse it!" screeched Fawcett.

"Fawcett you prune" said Sampta before Bella could answer "By THAT token, all the Healers in St Mungo's who remove curses are the ones who put them there in the same place; TRY not to show up Ravenclaw with such an unholy display of ignorance and stupidity."

"Besides" called Lilith from outside the room "We don't want anyone else to take the credit for our jape to cheer Bella and you others up by giving you a bit of excitement on a wet Wednesday. Do you REALLY want it reversed? Dancing on the ceiling is just so cool!"

"Note you aren't joining your victims though" said Sampta.

"Of COURSE not" said Lilith "It's out of bounds to us; we had an awful job standing on the threshold to chant in the whole room, we resorted to brooms outside the window to cover it all and had to get wet."

"You take the biscuit, kid!" said Sampta "You jinx our common room something rotten but you won't break the rules to come inside!"

"Oh if we're invited we can" said Lilith "If the Belle Marauders need help undoing our enchantments."

"You're invited" said Bella who had been investigating with her wand "You ruddy Stripy Marauders forget how damnably sophisticated you can get; I can do it but I won't deny a bit of help will be welcome."

The Stripy Marauders duly came in and twisted as they fell upwards to land lightly and indulged in a bit of dancing on the ceiling first.

"It IS cool" said Sextus in satisfaction. "But after a time it sort of stops being odd and becomes samey; I can see why they want their common room back, Halfpint."

"How did you keep the furniture down?" asked Bella.

"Easy peasy" said Lilith "We only wanted to aim it at people so we used the power of twenty three to target you only; for objects gravity is the same way up as usual."

"I noticed" said Mafalda Prewett dryly, who had dropped her wand.

The Stripy Marauders joined with the Belle Marauders to neatly slide gravity round to its more usual orientation and cancelled the honky-tonk twinkle-toes curse. Most of the sixth were disposed to be more amused than annoyed; after all a wet November Wednesday DID need something to cheer it up.

Xanthia Fawcett was NOT amused; and she hit Lilith so hard the little girl flew across the room. Being as good a gymnast as she was, Lilith twisted to land on her feet, the bruise already coming out and her eyes glowing faintly red.

"THAT was uncalled for Fawcett" she said, moving forward.

Sampta and others moved to be ready to grab Fawcett; Bella and friends moved to intercept Lilith.

None of them were prepared for what Fawcett did next; she pointed her wand at Lilith – who expected the cruciatus curse and put up her shield without a flicker of the eyes – and shouted

"You rotten kid! You should be got rid of utterly! _EVANESCO_!"

Lilith vanished with a cry.

The room suddenly started filling with people – adult people, small children, all with blazing eyes and plenty of them with blazing scars. Xanthia Fawcett recognised Lilith's father amongst them, stern Professor Snape, distraught and furious.

"Severus! DO something!" cried Sextus.

Severus and Krait took him wordlessly by the hand, one each side; others linked hands too, the ones in Auror uniform no more grim and frightening than the Headmaster and sundry of the teachers, or Mr Malfoy; and they were chanting. Sextus said

"YES" to an unspoken question and went into the middle of the circle where the chant caused glowing lines to forge around him. A shell of colour covered his body; and Xanthia's wand flew to Severus' hand where he had cast the summoning charm for the culprit wand. He pointed it at Sextus and pronounced the spell.

"_EVANESCO!"_

The lines from the circle of wizards and witches still existed; disappeared into…nowhere. And Severus laid his wand across them. His expression became bleaker as long minutes passed; three, four minutes ticked by. And then he snapped to life and started chanting again.

Professor Hawke Malfoy and his twin and their wives were adding a counterpoint; it was a harsh language almost nobody knew; but Mimi recognised it and joined in; it had symmetry.

"Ash Nazg durbatuluk; Ash Nazg gimatul; Ash Nazg thrakatuluk, agh burzum ishi krimpatul!" chanted Mimi with her cousins in the made up language of Black speech; 'one ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them' for they had made a ring and were tying Sextus to Lilith to bring her back.

It seemed interminable; and then Sextus was lying on the floor, still shimmering, cradling a figure to him; a figure hardly recognisable as Lilith with the outgrowths of fungus and mould and unnameable substances growing out of and into her tiny body. Krait, for the first time in her life, screamed in sheer terror; Sirri and Dione put horrified arms around her.

"LUCIUS!" Severus' cry for help was raw.

"A cleansing chant" said Lucius looking sick. "I – Ancient Egyptian."

"A voice offering to Truth and Purity" said Jade "Peret kherw en-ka-en Lilith em did Khet nebet nefer-t wab-t maat-kheper-t djet er neh-eh" _a voice offering for the spirit of Lilith giving things everything perfect, pure, truthful her form enduringly for eternity_.

Those who could cope took up the chant; those who could not hummed or clapped accompaniment.

And gradually the awful excrescences that were taking over Lilith started to crumble and fall away and leave a screaming sobbing little girl, writhing in awful agony. And Severus and Krait must hold the chant to clear the growths before they could go to their little girl; but Sextus held her firmly, stroked her hair and ignored the grasping tentacles and spores that tried to invade him. The chant included his name too with the adjuration that everything be perfect and pure without the female –t suffix now he was under attack; and the invading vegetation blackened into dust and died.

Severus scooped a now quietly sobbing Lilith into his arms.

"WHO HAS DONE THIS?" he asked terribly.

The combined sixth turned and looked at Xanthia who quailed. They were waiting for her to own up.

"I – it was an accident" said Xanthia hurriedly as she felt Snape's cold black eyes on her "I – I meant to banish her across the room not vanish her; wrong spell. She's out of bounds being in here anyway."

"Liar" said Severus.

"AND she wasn't out of bounds because she was invited in" said Sampta "NOT that that would be any excuse; you've gone too far this time and none of us are going to even try to save your rotten skin."

Severus passed his eldest actual daughter to Krait and advanced on Fawcett, who shrieked. There was murder in his eyes.

"Severus"

Harry Potter was never an impressive figure with his untidy black hair, escaping from the ponytail he wore in imitation of Severus; even in Auror robes. But Severus turned to his voice.

"Harry?"

"Not you. This is for Draco and Alastor and me. We all heard the confession – such as it was – and read the lie. We'll take her in. Not your bag. You go to Lilith."

"Yes Harry" said Severus, bowing his head to his ward. "I will not take myself down to her level. Take her away and lock her up; keep other children safe."

"I will Severus" said Harry. "Professor Fraser, you are in Loco Parentis; I must ask your permission to arrest this female."

"Take her away Harry" said David "She's an adult; well over seventeen. You have your job to do."

Harry and Draco both advanced on Fawcett.

"You can't do this!" she cried "I only wanted to punish the snotty little brat! She's a danger to the public, she's Voldemort's granddaughter, she's going to grow up a dark witch and cause untold misery!"

"Funny" drawled Draco "The only dark intent I can find around here is an adult trying to kill a minor in the most horrible way imaginable; even VOLDEMORT never came up with inflicting THAT on any of his victims!"

"And I feel sick that we used it against ODESSA people" Krait muttered to Severus "We're not blameless in that."

"We never did it to any who had not attacked with deadly intent" said Severus harshly. "And in strongholds that might have been expected to have wards they might use against such things. NOT on children. Yes, I feel sickened at it too; but we were at war. This female has NOT that excuse; for none of the other sixth seem to think she had any justification."

"Sir? Is she all right?" Sextus laid a hand on Severus' arm.

Severus put an arm around him.

"Thanks to your heroism, lad" he said. "I would have gone myself but I knew I could anchor the chant better than anyone."

"It's rather horrid in the otherwhere" said Sextus "I see you've sent her to sleep; but I wouldn't be surprised if she had nightmares. It….. everything is out of phase; skewed."

"Cockeyed as Trenco's ether" muttered Lilith who had discovered the Lensmen series in the local library.

"Yeah" said Sextus who had some idea what she was talking about. "It's why it took me a while to find her; sight isn't reliable. And also the place you put me down had shifted from where she was sent; there's different physical rules I think."

"When we're grown up we can use the clever attachment chant to go and do some investigation of it" said Kazrael soothingly.

"That would be interesting but not until I feel better about it first" said Lilith "Mummy I want to go home with you!"

"You shall, pumpkin" said Krait. "David Fraser isn't going to insist on you staying in school after that; Sextus, I'll ask if you can come too."

"I'd like that Krait" said Sextus "She's my GIRL."

oOoOo

David readily gave permission for Sextus to go with Lilith; and when they had left and were harder to return sent an owl to both Miss Scarpin and Ashley Pencastle informing them that their son was to be out of school for a few days at the request of his best friend who had suffered a distressing injury and whose recovery was thought to be likely to be speeded by the presence of a close friend. He added that as Sextus was well ahead in his studies and was known to help the fifth years with their essays he somehow doubted that the boy's absence would in any respect hold him back.

The only thing that inhibited Sextus from working for a remove was that he did not want to leave his friends; but he had petitioned to take a few OWLs this year and David had felt it quite reasonable – since Sextus had elicited the aid of Hawke and Lynx Malfoy as ex Marauders to give him extra lessons – to permit him to take the five subjects he had submitted. He was, after all, well ahead of his age group. And one had to suspect that neither of the junior teachers were the ones coaching him in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes but Lilith; Potions and Defence against the Dark Arts were Hawke's fields; Transfigurations was Lynx's of those he was taking. And as Lilith was so far ahead it seemed only fair to let the lad salvage some teenage pride by taking those he was capable of passing well, early too. Lilith was taking all NEWTs this year; Charms, DADA, Enchanting, Herbology and Muggle Studies; and she was the only NEWT level Muggle Study student and she and Araminta did a lot of chatting over tea or popping out to muggle entertainments like the funfair or to museums and such.

David wondered suddenly how the muggleborn boy Sebastian Rice was getting on; the thought of museums had reminded him since the lad had been taken to improving venues and questioned on them by his natural father. Well the boy and his goblin friend were Gryffindors; less of an intrusion to pop in to chat generally in the common room; having them to tea meant he would have to have all the second to tea and that meant the terminally turgid Ravenclaws too.

He sighed.

In batches of half a dozen it might be easier to swallow; and at least there was the leaven of the blooded supporters of Marauding.

Meantime there was an unhappy interview with Xanthia Fawcett's parents.

They were upset and bewildered; horrified at what their daughter had done and guiltily aware that they were not entirely surprised.

"She has always been difficult about her younger siblings" said Mr Fawcett "And we tried so hard not to leave her out or let her feel jealous. She was much older than we would have liked when Priscilla and Persis were born; but we tried to prepare her."

"Was I wrong to punish her for kicking me in the belly when I was pregnant because she said she wanted them out?" asked Madam Fawcett.

"No; you could hardly let THAT pass" said David "Especially as she could also have hurt you badly."

"She said she wanted to hurt me to punish me for wanting other children" said Madam Fawcett "We hoped for a son as well as a daughter; which has not been fulfilled, but our daughters are all dear to us. What did we do wrong?"

"I believe" said David carefully "That it was very little to do with you; sometimes people are born with a warp to their personality. Like one Tom Marvolo Riddle, otherwise known as Voldemort. He had an inability to feel for others; a total lack of compassion or humanity. And I fear that it has been much the same for Xanthia. If only more parents with children who act up would take them to expert healers who understand the way people think we might have less trouble. Though I fear St Mungo's is a little behind the times so even if you had thought to do so you might not have got very far" he sighed.

"Are you saying Xanthia could have become a second Voldemort?" gasped Mr Fawcett.

"Please don't take this the wrong way" said David dryly "But she has neither learned to project an apparently charming manner nor excelled sufficiently at her studies to manage such er, notoriety. Whether knowing her parents still love her will help her through the trial that is inevitable for her actions will help her realise the enormity of her actions and help her heal her soul I do not know; but I shall argue at the trial that she is incapable of understanding fully the consequences of her own actions and try to have her confined in a secure ward under the auspices of the Janus Thickey ward rather than being incarcerated in Azkaban. I don't think she DOES have much understanding of consequences. And frankly, studying Xanthia may help Healers learn enough to cure others like her in the future. Which is no comfort to you of course."

"It is in a way" said Mr Fawcett "Because then other parents may not have to go through what we are; and if you can have her confined as a violent mental case we would be most grateful. She might have" he paled "Might have come up with that idea in the holidays to get rid of any or all of our younger daughters; and without the expert knowledge on hand to bring them back."

"And I have to say" said David gravely "It was only possible to bring Lilith back because she was born blood-joined by blood magic to those who had made a blood-pact to aid Harry Potter. They had some idea where to send her boyfriend to go looking, and he also a part of it. And because of it, her father, Severus Snape, apported right in because he IS the greatest wizard on earth, and he knew what to do; or rather had a good idea how to make it up on the spur of the moment. The rest of us followed his lead. I don't know what we should have been able to do if she had picked on one of her little sisters not Lilith; so it was as well she lost her temper when she did and with whom she did. Severus does NOT hold you responsible; I told him much of what Danae had already confided to me" he added, having managed to convince Severus that this was one of the rare cases of a problem child without problem parents in the offing.

"That was good of Severus" said Mr Fawcett "He was a somewhat snide creature at school and not given to forgiveness."

David shrugged.

"People grow up; even the Marauders of the time managed it."

"Some people don't" said Madam Fawcett "I ran into Hugin Edgecombe feeling impressed with his standing as a healer; I recall the Marauders had him so convinced Severus was a Vampire that he squirted him with garlic and the way he was talking he still jumps to hasty conclusions. If he's the calibre of healer in St Mungo's I certainly don't think they could have helped Xanthia."

"I believe there are many good healers there" said David diplomatically "The ones in charge of mental cases seem very competent" he added, without mentioning that if they liaised better with other departments and were all prepared to take on new ideas little Walter Crabbe might not have been out of school so long and far from being 'little' would have been taking his OWLs this year.

The unfortunate couple were pathetically grateful for his wishes not to see Xanthia turned into a hardened criminal in Azkaban; and they left still bewildered that their own daughter could have behaved so badly and thankful that Severus Snape was not likely to be seeking any kind of revenge; and reassured by a tearful meeting with the two sets of twins that Lilith was actually rather a sport and not hardly likely to hold THEM responsible.

And David must stand aside from this single problem and consider the needs of others in his school; young Seb Rice for example.

oOoOo

In the event Sebastian needed no pumping, bursting out spontaneously that his father had been most put out that a school had been chosen that had not been one he had suggested.

"And Mum stood up to him and said I was keen and that was what was important" said Sebastian "And he got snippy and asked if she intended to flout his wishes because if so he might not feel it behoved him to support me any more; so mum said that as I had passed well enough to be eligible for a scholarship anyway it would not disturb my schooling while she sued him over paternity; and as that would so have created enough scandal to jeopardize his position in the hospital as well as his wife finding out he shouted a lot then gave in" said Sebastian "So mum didn't have to write to you to cast me onto charity. And I say, translating the lessons into muggle equivalents for reports and having some of the teachers write them in Latin or Greek was awfully brilliant; he struggles through Latin but he doesn't have ANY Ancient Greek and I was able to say that we had a full classical education as well as a good grounding in technical subjects. So I was able to get boring on classics when he tried to quiz me on biology."

"Well done" said David "I dislike deceiving parents but sometimes there's very little choice. Your welfare comes first. I suspect if he has little control of you he may stop such frequent visits."

"Well I hope so" said Sebastian frankly "Is it true that there's a new teaching hospital that is going to investigate muggle methods? Lilith Snape was sort of loudish about it but you know Lilith, she might be talking about something projected for the future as much as something ongoing. Only if it IS true, my mum would be the sort of trained person who could impart something of ordinary – I mean, muggle – methods. Her being a lab tech and therefore with different skills to a nurse."

"Sebastian, you really have got an idea there; but will she mind living in Germany? She and you would have to share moderately cramped quarters in the holiday, probably a two bedroom flat with a few kitchen facilities in a sitting room because there are staff canteens for most meals" said David.

"By gum, sir, that'd be gradely" said Sebastian "We don't need much room; but I get the impression it's sort of in the country or at least big grounds; that's more room to LIVE than in a two-up-two-down that we're in, in the middle of York. I'd miss Balduk; but y'know two boys don't need much more space to sleep than one if I was allowed visitors."

"Healer Visick is pretty flexible for his staff I believe" said David "I've taught his two older children; nice kids, and he's ready to be flexible in other ways so I don't see a problem. I'll talk to Lawrence Visick first and if he can use your mum's skills I shall see if SHE is willing to relocate. I suspect if you are keen she may be ready to do so; and we always like to be able to find a niche in the wizarding world into which muggle relatives may fit."

oOoOo

It was nice, reflected David, to have a relatively easy parent matter to sort out; not like that of the unfortunate Fawcetts.

He also checked up particularly on Stuart Hodge, known to his intimates as Pliny, the New Zealand orphan. Stuart was a cheerful lad, still missing his dead parents of course but getting on with life and happily friendly with Timothy Malfoy. He had stayed a couple of weeks in Malfoy Manor riding flying horses with Timothy – who was not as horsy as his sister Penny but enjoyed riding well enough – and had then spent a couple of weeks with Timothy on his Ranch in New Zealand under the watchful eye of Hoani B'stard, the part goblin manager. Hoani had impressed the single ranch hand Jed; which was as well, and the sheep ranch was well run and the boys had ridden conventional horses to help out.

The entire of the second were permeated by the gang known as 'The Lifemunchers' which was a reaction against deatheaters since their chosen aim was to seize life with both hands and enjoy it; and Stuart and Tim were just two of the members. There was an inner core of blooded members too; but they were not marauders.

David had them all to tea together though; it made other tea parties less exciting. This was Charlie Rawlins, Clymene Baddock – not a surname one would have associated once with the blood group – Zeljeela gan Jorg, Candace Dumbledore, Tarquin Prince, Sevvy Snape, Naomi Cooper, Bryony Nuffield and Salazar Gaunt Moody.

"So the blooded drawn entirely from Gryffindor and Slytherin again" said David.

"There weren't any suitable from other houses" said Tarquin.

"There were quite a lot of nearly suitables" said Salazar "But we're a big group, nine; I say sir, does it mean that there's going to be something big to maraud against if there's a growing number of marauders and supporters?"

"I don't know Salazar" said David "We know – as you all heard – that a French would-be supremacist is rising and may try to tap the power of Ancient Egypt; and as Egypt has a long tradition of magic dark and light I suspect that there are things hidden away in tombs and dusty storage shelves in museums that are better left well alone or forgotten. The Belle, Pepperingye and Stripy Marauders have a plan in hand – with the aid of sundry grown ups – to divert the attention of Achille; they may need to draw on your blood from time to time so being ready isn't a half bad idea. The chant to free elves from the self punishment compulsion did NOT cover all of Egypt so we may find ourselves having to do more parts of North Africa. Maud Langstaffe – whose idea it was – is hoping that with careful preparation they may hang him up for years so it may well be you children who are adult enough to help fight him. The blood group has enough that we don't HAVE to involve youngsters the way WE were involved fighting Voldemort – I was in the third year and plenty of our er confederates were in the second – but I doubt the fact that you only need be backup is going to stop you getting involved if opportunity presents itself. I can only ask you to be careful."

"You are a sport sir" said Charlie.

David gave a rueful laugh.

"Believe me, it takes all my will power not to forbid you outright; you may not believe me yet but I assure you that it looks very different on the side of the fence that stands in the place of parents for you, with ultimate responsibility for your lives than it does from your point of view wondering why the grown ups are being fuddy-duddy" he said. "You can't actually help with the plans afoot – unless any of you claim to be experts at Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs. No I didn't think so" he added as their faces fell. "I'd make sure you brush up if I were you; I am. I'm not good enough to be permitted to help if that makes you feel any better; my job is to be a geomancer to hide certain clues for the biggest con in history. It's a marauder jape writ large and it is NOT to be discussed out of this room save in a place protected by Parseltongue or Fidelius Charm. Charlie, you'll be pleased to know that the muggle film about your grandfather's adventures has been an inspiration; the use of a two-part document with such a clue as 'these words are' on one part and 'written on such and such a thing' on an other. Your sister Charis suggested that I believe to back up a vague idea already promulgated."

"Nice" said Charlie grinning. "I'm proud that she's a marauder and we'll do all we can to back the marauders. And I say, thanks for telling us stuff."

"There's going to be a big meeting early in the morning after the Yule Ball" said David "All the Blooded to go; Myrtle's Loo. You may get given the odd holiday task; you may get asked to be ready to hold yourselves in reserve. This is the scale of con that will take months to set up and – hopefully – years to its fruition. And it is possible that we shall need a field trip of those interested in hieroglyphs to go to various museums and even to Egypt; and to mill around and distract curators and archaeologists with intelligent questions may yet be your lot in life. It's a necessary and responsible job."

"We'll manage that easily" said Salazar "And we ought to remind the Belle Marauders that some of us live in London and could take careful notes over Yule of exactly what's in the Brit Mus; because we could go and look and then roll it all out into the Pensieve for study."

"Brilliant" said David "Then I'll set that as a holiday task to those of you who ARE in London; it saves a trip for anyone doing anything that's more proactive. And I'll suggest it to Jade Luytens to pass on to her blooded who live in Berlin which also has a massive Egyptology section. And if any of you have local museums with even a few Egyptian artefacts in, the same goes for you. I'll ask Albus to take Seth and Candace into Glasgow or Edinburgh and see what they have. But we don't actually want too much in England or he might suspect; the Brit Mus is fair enough because English archaeologists like Howard Carter nicked an awful lot of stuff; as did the Germans. Ah, and that reminds me, SS mysticism; another source of misinformation to dear Achille. THAT side I CAN handle."

"No reason Dad can't take us to France and look at French museums" said Candace.

"None at all" said David "I'll suggest Darryl put it to HIS blooded in France too; a lovely little wild goose chase all about the houses. I'm glad we had this chat; you've been tremendously helpful."

"And you hide the helpful tea parties in amongst the ones that look like duty, don't you sir?" said Salazar.

"I think that had better be a question I don't answer" said David.

And the boy had the truth of it; though it was a little ironic that this round of tea parties was more to check out how Seb was dealing with his irritating father!

And much came out of tea parties that would not otherwise arise; like Emma MacMillan's suspicions that her father had other children because of a row she had overheard him have with her mother.

David had sighed and explained that he had kept a sister of Lucius Malfoy who was unsure how the Malfoys would greet an illegitimate sister; who had a daughter by Lester MacMillan who was at Prince Peak school where she was now maintained by Lucius Malfoy and that the girl's mother was no longer Emma's father's mistress. He managed to persuade Emma to feel sorry for Pippa Yaxley and Emma agreed to write to her half sister Cerellia. David planned to contact Severus first and ask him to ask Cerellia to be gentle with her rather wet half sister!

The life of a headmaster was certainly always varied!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Lilith and Sextus were back in school after the weekend; and the only indication that Lilith had been more disturbed than perhaps she cared to admit was when she snapped at her friends for walking on eggs around her, declaring that she was not a ruddy invalid and did not need treating like one.

"In a way yes you are so can it" said Gennar forcefully "You may not be physically hurt but I know damn well that trauma takes more than a few days tea and sympathy to get over. I was orphaned and we had to move remember; not on the same scale as being sent to the evanesco place but it took a helluva while to adjust to it so stop being a poor prune. We're your bloodsibs, your group; let us in Halfpint. We are here to love you and let you weep on if necessary so you can be strong at the rest of the world."

"Sorry" said Lilith in a small voice.

Venus and Jayashree exchanged a glance; that DID show up how shaken their tiny friend was!

"We wrote down everything we observed about the place" said Sextus "Because that helped; and Lilith's looking on it as a thaumoturgic expedition of vital research importance."

"It's easier to contemplate like that" said Lilith. "The pain was only pain but…. But I was scared I'd die of being eaten by fungus and would never be able to get back because it hurt too much to be able to make arithmantic calculations about how to apparate. And then Sec turned up in a suit of protection and cuddled me and then I knew it would be all right" she said. "Then I could be stronger and stop panicking and take more notice. He was tremendously brave."

"You're my girl" said Sextus.

"He's also harder than any of the rest of us and had the best chance of pulling it off alive" said Gennar. "Though any one of us would have gone if we'd been asked."

"I guess daddy knows I have a special bond with Sec" said Lilith. "But the chant to wrap him up is of paramount importance for when I go on purpose."

"Lilith! Surely not!" said Kazrael "It would be too terrifying!"

Lilith squeezed her friend's hand.

"Yes; and that's why I have to go again" she said "So I can get over how terrifying it was without protection and sort my head out. Daddy wasn't ready to listen when I put it to him; sometimes grownups get too emotional to think straight. But we'll need a decent number of chanters to do it."

"You'll be bloody lucky to talk anyone into it" said Sextus "I keep telling her this. And I don't think we should risk it without a significant number of grownups; I wish you oiks would back me."

"We do" said Gennar "We want to help you Lilith but I think we need your dad to anchor. Tell you what, we'll all write to him and explain that as your peer group we think the only way you'll get rid of the nightmares is by facing the fear and dispelling it by going and returning. Suit you?"

Lilith nodded.

"Thanks Gennar; I AM having nightmares only I've been blocking because stupid like I thought they might stop daddy letting me do it. But I want them to stop and the only way to remove a fear is by facing it. I don't want to have a boggart. I'm used to just hissing at them and making them go away."

She was variously patted.

oOoOo

Severus' indecision could be felt by the group for several days; then they were blood-pulsed to go to the Marauder room whence he had apparated; and he spoke harshly.

"I don't want to do this, Lilith; but I had rather do it myself than have you try on your own with half trained children as your only anchors. You will take my orders absolutely in this."

"Yes daddy" said Lilith.

"Can I go with her sir?" asked Sextus.

"No" said Lilith "I need to do it alone; it doesn't need but half a minute, dad."

Severus nodded; and set the children in a circle, chanting to set up the same protective shell about Lilith as he had set about Sextus, tying the strands that wove it to himself. Father and daughter exchanged a glance; and Lilith nodded her readiness. Severus cast the vanishing spell; gritted his teeth; and waited for a long count of thirty, wand on the strands in case of an untoward need to return her.

And then he was chanting her back, pulling on the strands, and Lilith tumbled into the centre of the small circle.

Severus checked the protective shell for invading organisms, nodded in satisfaction, and dispelled it.

"Are you all right?" he asked roughly.

Lilith nodded.

"Thank you daddy" she hugged him fiercely "It – it's not NICE there but I could concentrate without being gnawed on by rapacious fungi. Now I understand the place better I shan't be scared again because I think I know more counters to the fungi even without a shell because I've watched them. They can be controlled by simple mind control spells like animals I think to be persuaded not to come. Revulsion charms; I've studied them with Flitters. So I don't have to get in a flat spin over anyone doing it to me in, say, a duel. I didn't think very straight when SHE sent me there so the fungi had a chance; I lost my cool. I know that's pretty reprehensible" she added.

"Hardly, in a child your age; even in a child the age of your friends" growled Severus.

"Well I kind of expect to be in total self control all the time; so I suppose it's a learning experience that there ARE things that can rattle me" said Lilith. "Anyway, you CAN use repelling charms like I said, and that means you can be safe long enough to find the link; and I think it's possible to apport directly to a blood kin you're close to; will you send me down again so I can try, daddy? Because it should be tested."

"No" said Severus shortly "I'LL go. You're a good enough chanter to retrieve me if need be; and I'll test your theory about repelling charms too."

"Not without a linkage just in case sir" said Sextus firmly "I'm not prepared to let Lilith lose her daddy knowing what might be happening to him. And please, the shell of protection would be better for her peace of mind too; you can still use repelling spells."

Severus looked at him a long moment; and laid a hand on his shoulder with a nod.

"Right you are old man" he said.

They practised weaving the shell and its attachments; then Sextus raised his wand and cast the spell. Lilith was to be the blood-bond to whom Severus returned and it was felt that therefore Sextus should hold the other strands. Severus disappeared and the threads as before disappeared into nothing.

oOoOo

Severus reappeared in front of Lilith with a loud CRAC! noise and nodded approval.

"Your deductions were all valid" he said "They backed off for the repulsion and I could feel all my kindred. And you and Sextus are very brave; it really is a very nasty place. I'm not at all surprised you could not think straight. The strangeness of the way things look and the way the atmosphere swims in drunken illusions is not conducive to pure thought either."

"Did the rubbish make the fungi or do they just eat it?" asked Sextus.

"That's a bit of a chicken and egg question" said Severus

"Well that one isn't difficult" said Lilith "The egg came first and it was dinosaurs and Archaeopteryx before it was a chicken. I reckon the fungus must have been there first at least in a proto-form because if it had gone with the first banished wizardly rubbish it would be recognisable and it isn't. And we've only been banishing rubbish for what, no more then forty thousand years, not enough for that massive an amount of evolution surely?"

"Point taken and I guess that you're generous in your guess of the maximum time" said Severus "There's only a need to get rid of rubbish when you have a stable and settled population; back then every evidence suggests at least a hunter-gatherer existence, probably entirely nomadic following game. I'd say no more than ten thousand years and however short the generations that's not really enough for household mould to get aggressive and semi-sentient."

Lilith nodded.

Making an academic study of it made it so much easier to deal with!

"Thanks daddy" she said.

"You are welcome, pumpkin; now the lot of you skedaddle back to bed" he glared around the little group in his best headmaster glare.

They giggled; the girls kissed him and the boys shook his hand and they departed back to bed.

oOoOo

"Look here, Baddock, are you likely to be doing any kind of special family Christmas stuff?" asked Zajala.

"Not really" said Nigel Baddock "We're not terribly family like, even at Christmas."

"Oh that's sorted then" said Zajala "You and your kid sister may as well come back to Malfoy Manor over Yule; we have an awfully jolly time and dad loves having a full house."

"Why? I mean why are you asking me?" said Nigel suspiciously.

Zajala shrugged.

"You've worked awfully hard since Severus sorted your head out; and it seemed like a good idea at the time to actually get to know you – a little belated I guess – inside the crap your head was making you think" she said. "You kinda needed time to come to terms with it but there's no reason we shouldn't actually get on more friendly terms, especially as Clymene's in with the Marauders. Who I expect will mostly blow in at some point over the holiday; Severus and dad are awf'ly close and most of the Snapes are Marauders."

"You're not though." It was a statement not a question.

"Never appealed to me; like the song says, I'm a material girl. You can take me to the ball too if you like, unless dancing with a goblin will cause rucktions with your family."

"It's none of their business. Are you suggesting we walk out together?"

"Dunno. Probably not; I rather fancy I have my eye on someone who was in Gorbrin's class; but you don't actually have a girlfriend and I don't actually have a boyfriend so we might as well go together as Bella's taking Stripes Khan this year."

Bella had gone with Nigel the previous year because he had worked so hard on improving himself; and he had appreciated it.

"I suppose as he's leaving anyway he doesn't much care about people making waves about him marrying a pupil" he said "And it's not as though she wasn't over seventeen I guess. Why 'Stripes'?"

"Oh because he's a rakshasa of course" said Zajala "It's why Bella has such a thing about tigers; and is a tiger animagus. And I say I do have an almost ulterior motive for asking you."

"I might have known; do I get to know?"

"Oh I don't consider it a secret" said Zajala. "I'm FRIENDS with Danzo; but he's trying to make it a boyfriend thing and actually I don't think he's old enough mentally to be anyone's boyfriend, however much I like him; and I don't want to send the wrong message by going with him."

"Oh!" said Nigel "Well I guess I don't mind that sort of ulterior motive; if it was to make him jealous I'd kind of resent that."

"Oh that's not a nice thing to do to a partner" said Zajala "I mean, Griselen and Genavka pulled that with Phil and Tony last year by going with the Corbin twins, but the Corbin twins only wanted a matched set to escape from those dippy Huffer girls so it wasn't the same as using someone really was it, because it was a case of mutual benefit."

Nigel considered.

"I guess" he said cautiously "I still have some trouble with understanding why people do things and what's on and what isn't. I mean apart from the obvious things like not casting the vanishing spell on people."

Zajala shuddered.

"I was really scared they'd not get her back" she said.

"Where did they all come from? I didn't even recognise half of them; and you can't apparate inside Hogwarts; and Clymene apparated in too with heaps of other kids!" said Nigel.

"It's to do with blood magic" Zajala shrugged "It started over protecting Harry Potter and Lilith was born joined in. Those who choose to protect get to be blood joined; Clymene's one of them. Like I said, it's not my thing, though I respect them like hell. What one feels all feels, though I think it's not always at full tilt because you wouldn't want the kids to feel you having sex I guess. I dunno for certain; but I know that it's the only way they managed to save Lilith's life and prevent Fawcett from actually being a murderess. I'm glad she's gone though; it's a lot less contentious now."

"I'll say" agreed Nigel with feeling "I was always jolly glad not to be a Raver."

"Amen to that!" said Zajala.

oOoOo

Danzo was hurt when Zajala turned him down, saying she already had a partner; he had started to fall into the idea that as the only female full-blood goblin in his year, Zajala would probably go along with going out with him, especially as his sister was friendly with her step sister Erica.

"Who are you going with then; Korban? Not Kaur surely?" he demanded belligerently. "Roger?" he suggested the half elf who was in height very similar to the goblin youngsters. Kaur, half goblin half elf, was the shortest youth in the form.

"None of them" said Zajala. "Why don't you invite Emma Clitheroe? She's a decent sort."

"Well I shall then" said Danzo. Emma was an austere little body having been in a Catholic boarding school until rescued into her proper milieu by David Fraser when he was head boy though she had not at that point been old enough for Hogwarts. The muggleborn girl had no side at all and actually rather admired Danzo for his rebellious streak; her own rebellion being quieter and more by way of stubbornness.

oOoOo

Storm and Zephyra found themselves invited by Cecil Burke and Pericles Bullivant, who were close friends and who tended to knock around a lot at Malfoy Manor in various holidays. They were good fun so the cousins agreed; though Zephyra said,

"Though to be fair I don't think either of us is actually looking for romance yet."

"That's all right; neither are we" said Cecil. "We just like the idea of being seen with the loveliest girls in the year on our arms."

"He's good, isn't he?" said Storm.

"Moderately" said Zephyra "If they can turn pretty compliments that actually sound as though they mean it shall we agree?"

"Oh I think so" said Storm.

Pericles grinned.

"We just like being in with the Malfoys" he quipped "And you two are close to Narcissa."

"And your sister isn't close to Vladimir?" said Storm cynically.

"IS she?" said Pericles "But she was at school with his daughter!"

"That's why he's trying to pretend she isn't pursuing him" said Zephyra.

"Oh well" said Pericles "Next time I see him I'll ask when he's going to make an honest woman of m'sister; THAT ought to make him realise she really does want him and bring him up to scratch. Reckon I'd better write to her first though and check she DOES want him mind" he added "Or she might give me a thick ear."

"You do that old man" said Cecil "I'd NEVER dare interfere in MY sister's love life without her permission."

As Cecil's sister Dympna, or Dimsie as she preferred to be called, was only a year older than Crocosmia Bullivant the age gap was similar enough for there to be a lot of masculine sympathy over sisters between the boys!

oOoOo

As it happened, Crocosmia wrote back to her brother that his intervention would be rather welcome as she KNEW Vladimir was not indifferent to her but was trying to be a gentleman to avoid spoiling a friendship between Julia and Crocosmia; which as Julia knew all about her friend's attachment to her father and approved was daft. Crocosmia wrote that she had not realised that Pericles had noticed and was mature enough to realise the undercurrents and thanked him for his brotherly concern; and Pericles was wise enough not to admit that he had needed to have the situation pointed out to him.

And Vladimir might have been raised as a muggle but he was an acknowledged brother of Lucius; and that would please their parents too. And would have done so if Vladimir had been eighty-six not forty-six.

Malfoys never showed their age anyway; Pericles reflected that you couldn't begin to guess how old Lucius was; and Vladimir was something like a decade younger than Lucius after all!

oOoOo

The various Marauders in the school were too busy on The Biggest Con Ever to consider any more mundane japes; so as Seth for the Weird Marauders said, it was just as well they had already pulled THEIR effort for the term and the rest of the year was just going to have to be boring in terms of being jape-free because for Marauders duty came before entertaining mere schoolchildren.

David, present at this particular planning meeting, managed not to laugh because Seth said it with total sincerity.

"I think it's cool" said Nathan "Because it means those of us who are too old to pull kids' japes get a chance to be part of a jape so stupendously huge it rocks anything before or since; though I guess Maud might not have come up with it if Lilith and co hadn't pulled their Riddle riddle stunt."

"It did give me the idea" said Maud. "And I can suggest it because I know I CAN hand over the execution of it to those of you who actually DO know something about runes and shit, and I say, I had another idea."

"Crumbs, our Maud, what are you running on, high octane chocolate with supercharged acid drops?" said Bella.

Maud grinned.

"It is a bit excessive, isn't it? It's acute missing-my-Fabianitis"

"Lumme" said Isabel "If it's catching as acute missing-my-Chaditis and so on I shouldn't think the wizarding world will stand it."

"I'm too ruddy busy designing hieroglyphs for it to get too many bright ideas" said Mimi. "What is it Maud? Or have you forgotten while we burble?"

"No I haven't" said Maud. "What I was thinking was that we might need to give some clues to finding keys based on astronomy and there's been the precession of the equinoxes and stuff; which is Fido's province."

"I'm not that ruddy good" said David ruefully "But I know a man with an orrery that is" he added. "Severus has a very nice orrery and I'm sure he'd let me play with it and help with my calculations. Bella WHAT are you giggling about?"

"Just hoping that if Severus has orrery it isn't catching" said Bella.

David gave her the two fingered cuff.

oOoOo

The first years had no interest whatsoever in the tribulations of partner hunting for the ball; they suffered the indignity of dancing once a week with the stolid incomprehension over the tortures grown ups see fit to inflict on children for their own good that they also reserved for being made to eat cabbage or sprouts entirely unaware that being used to dancing would one day make their own first Yule Ball less of an ordeal than it still was for the older pupils. Of more moment was the changearound of the subsidiary classes.

The Hunting Marauders were to be introduced to History, Divination, Care of Magical Beasts – not differentiated into domestic and otherwise at this level – Astronomy, Geomancy and Ancient Runes.

Hints of what Richard's siblings were up to certainly raised expectations of Ancient Runes and the class were disappointed not to be learning Hieroglyphs right away – Greek was considered quite complex enough for them to start with – but buckled down with philosophy. Many of them would be negotiating to fit in studies that were technically in opposition of course; but the Headmaster and staff were anticipating that. One did not expect to have Snapes and Malfoys in the school without some degree of excess academic zeal.

Varjak had no intention of studying divination – unless he was revealed as talented – when he could study metalwork; however poor he might find himself at working with metal, it could be overcome. And as he showed no talent in divination he was glad. Nor did Habbuk; but Habbuk was busy declaring that Divination was a sight less scary and taxing than metalwork so divination was for him even if he had no talent. It may be said that none of them found any talent in forseeing the future and in attempting to divine chocolate frogs Glasbhinn managed to find only earthworms. She was busy arguing the opportunity to study both history AND Arithmancy; as was Richard who excelled at both subjects. Outside their immediate set Ramsey Corbin also wanted to take both; as well as his desire to take both care of beasts and Herbology and too Mabelinn Black-Weasley, heartened by others wanting to combine, also expressed an interest in taking both History and Arithmancy since there were few enough subjects that she WAS good at that she wanted to take those at which she had some chance of doing well and though History was her first choice, Arithmancy had come fairly easily to her too. With a class of four interested, Professor Lector was happy to accommodate a second class during a different period or one evening; and there was never going to be any trouble over Hagrid fitting in Richard and the four of Penny's set – Darius letting himself be talked into doing Herbology as well – to make up an extra care of beasts class over tea and cakes. And though Ramsey was doing two extra classes his grades were universally good and he should have no trouble with them.

Richard Snape was also agitating to do Geomancy as well as Enchanting; and David told him that he could jolly well do that in odd moments with himself and Padfoot, which being a Snape should not present any difficulties. Richard had grinned cheerfully and agreed.

He had probably, like Lilith, covered most of the first two years at least of the majority of subjects anyway and was wont to have Minerva sighing over careless talk in the Snape home by bandying about such NEWT level concepts as 'Assimilative Correlation' as well.

And Madam Spikenard was pleased that the split of the class meant that she was tending to get those who were interested in or good at her subject rather than those considering it a soft option since the dippier girls did see the fascination in making themselves jewellery in metalcrafting even if the idea of casting scared them. Which had been the general idea when David had chosen those subjects in opposition. And there were nine who were acceptably good at the subject, one who was good and another four who positively shone and certainly looked to be likely to have abilities high enough to be insurance diviners. And none of these were those who shone in Metalwork – four brilliant and two very good in an otherwise very average mass – so there was no conflict of interest there.

David wondered whether he might have to alter around the opposed subjects; but shrugged to himself. This year there were a significant minority of Arithmancers who were also Historians; next year there might be a large number of enchanters who also desired to be Geomancers or Astronomers who wanted to study Comparative Magic. The key was to be flexible and to encourage flexibility in the staff.

He had his senior staff and Tony Queach in to tea to ask them how they felt the combined classes with junior staff to help out were going.

"No problem for me, Headmaster" said Minerva "Lynx is verra guid at seeing wha' there might be trouble and misunderstanding and going tae those sufferin' problems."

"Hawke the same in Potions" reported Connie. "I don't much like having such huge numbers in the dungeon and I shall be glad to stream them; you'll be having the four major classes sorted so junior potions top stream is at the same time as Junior transfigurations lower stream say, so both streams don't occupy the same classroom together, where specialist equipment was required?"

"No, actually I'm having a second dungeon outfitted" said David "And when the lower forms are not using it I thought that NEWT level students in twos or more might do their own brewing. The equipment is waiting to come in after term ends so you and Hawke may arrange things to your satisfaction. The dungeons are underused. I don't want to split the two streams in time as well as place; it gives ME too many headaches."

"Well if they're to have a second dungeon that's fair enough" said Connie.

"I have no problems with Adela's aid" squeaked Flitwick "As you know I do like to spend most of the first term covering theory anyhow. Which lends itself better to the larger class. I've introduced more practicals purely for the fact that streaming must be done on a mix of practical ability and academic grasp of the subject."

"Wido knows his way around fighting the Dark Arts; and around asking the kids leading question" said Remus. "I think it's going very well; like Filius I'm making sure to have more practical applications than I might have otherwise done and for the same reason but I don't think it harms them to get to grips with reality from the word go."

"Tony?" David asked his Chanting Professor.

"I have to say it's handy having someone else who can carry a tune" said Tony "Not that we do much singing work but they need to know it's possible, and sometimes it helps the timing. Vespasian is prepared to take on those who want to continue with chanting but need a bit more coaching; you were permitting them to give up chanting at Yule along with other electives, weren't you?"

"I was, yes" said David "Though I like them to have as wide a range of subjects as possible to choose electives from when they reach the third. After all, if they take only the four core subjects and the six semi-electives they'll only have ten to choose from for OWL and really, ten subjects for OWL is an average sort of number anyway, Minerva why are you laughing at me?"

"David" said Minerva with some asperity "Ye do tend tae forrget that ye associate wi' rather rrrarefied beings like the Snapes and Hermione Granger. The average is eight; we encourage our students to take nine."

"I stand corrected" said David. "And I make no doubt that people like Richard Snape, who plans to take fourteen subjects for the next two years and will then no doubt drop two or maybe three of them for OWL will manage; Snapes do."

"Weel, Richard will aye look upon baith the study beasts and of plants from a potioneer's eye" said Minerva.

"He has his father's touch" said Connie "When I can stop him actually teaching those of his satellites as need an extra hand in things; the boy is determined to get all his friends firmly in the top stream."

David grinned.

"Well he gets THAT from his mother" he said. "Krait was always one to try to sort people out. Is he likely to succeed?"

"Oh I have no doubt of it" said Connie. "Especially as I am absolutely certain he takes them off somewhere to practice. We could easily make three streams if it came to that; the good, the adequate and the dire."

David reflected that it was as well that he had separated the senior staff from the junior or Hawke would have been making some quip about the good, the bad and the ugly. He wondered absently if Hawke still had the poncho and the Stetson he had been wont to wear on missions.

More than likely.

The Junior staff were eager to take on their lower streams; and in Adela's and Wido's case a little nervous too. Vespasian was to be just coaching those who were keen but less able so there was less pressure on him; as all in his class wanted to be there.

"I'm used to teaching those of little ability among those in the Umbrous Lane complex" said Hawke "And Lynx has helped out enough to see how dire some of them can get. A lot of the families there just don't have much in the way of magic which is why they've ended up in so poor a surroundings anyway; though fortuitous marriages can throw up the truly brilliant once in a while. And without being racist, outside of their own brand of magic in branches of Arithmancy or practical skills like enchanting and metalwork, a lot of goblins don't actually have a whole lot of pure magical talent. At least, not those who've fetched up amongst the poorest. Of course once you ARE poor it's hard to rise if you DO have more ability than your forebears; which is where we in the free school come in. But poverty also depresses the intellect, though Lucius and his efforts have improved matters quite a lot; and as yet, most of our kids – the Umbrous Lane kids I should say, they ain't mine any more – don't actually stay after taking a DOE. Most stay to sixteen, take a DOE and perhaps a couple of OWLs and that's it. Sad; but at least it gives them a chance in life. And I guess I see my job here as getting the kids to at least a DOE level pass by the time they take OWLs now it's been placed as part of the system to permit them to; and to try to push them as far as an 'A' grade in the OWL if I can. I like working with the kids who need me; I think it drives Con up the wall as much as it would Severus, who prefers to solve the social problems kids have."

Lynx giggled. But then Lynx usually punctuated any comment she made or was about to make with giggle so David tried not to be prejudiced. She was a clever girl after all but just enjoyed life rather effervescently.

"We shall have a few bloopers I'm sure" she said "Transfiguration being one of those subjects prone to rather amusing side effects; and Merlin Knows we have a few dire ones! Tiarella Yaxley managed to transfigure not a matchstick into a needle but her fingernails into matchsticks; and hasn't succeeded since in turning anything into anything except a lot of heavy weather and sighing poor brat. And Pascoe Broadmoor, who plays quidditch like a demon, managed to arrange his matches into hieroglyphs and hollered about the rising sun taking refuge in the two kingdoms which as I never even took runes to OWL had me flummoxed and Minerva muttering darkly about people having visions on their own time."

"Poor Minerva" said David "You do have to remember, Lynx, she had to put up with Powerless Polly-put-the-kettle-on; Sybil Trelawny you know."

"Yes I heard about her" said Lynx with a giggle "Oh, but Minerva's face was a study! I sketched what Pascoe had managed and passed it on to Mimi; that was right wasn't it?"

"Yes; and it tallies with everything else we know" said David. "Poor kid; I'd hate to be a true seer."

"Well at least he remembered it; went fiery red, apologised, and asked if he had really just spouted all that crap. Minerva actually let him off without a murmur over that description for his embarrassment over seering – do I mean seering? If I don't I do now and it's a new word – and told him kindly not to worry about it but to talk to Richard about it if it ever happened again. And I say, is Vespasian going to teach music in magic to OWL for the odd one or two who want to learn like you're teaching Quidditch as an elective from the third?"

"Vespasian?" asked David "You're only really here for the year so I don't know that it's fair on you – or the kids."

Vespasian flushed.

"I could always come in once a week after my year if there are any keen ones; split teaching them with Tony" he said "Tony's very musical too so I guess we could negotiate over the few that need it."

"Good; talk to him and see if Heath Barbary wants to do an intensive over the next two years; he's in the fourth" said David "And Phil Graves for that matter and Lilith Snape."

Vespasian nodded.

"I'll do that" he said. "Work in the ministry isn't so arduous that I can't make time to give weekly lessons. Heath has a younger sister doesn't he?"

"Yes; she might be willing but she has a bit of an attitude problem" said David "Offer it by all means but feel free to sling her out if she's in any way obstreperous. And if I were you I'd have her in with the class of older ones – for YOUR protection – just set easier work. I'll ask Severus to send me a copy of the text book pre-publishing."

"Cheers" said Vespasian.

"Adela? Enjoying it?" David asked the junior charms mistress. Adela went pink.

"Oh yes!" she said "It's very rewarding helping those who need it; though I have to say there are very few who are POOR at charms."

"It goes like that" said David "Some years the whole class can't make a locomotor charm work to save their lives and yet turn their matchsticks into threaded needles in sets; or they all manage charms and blow up the potions dungeon. It's a peculiar but frequently observed phenomenon."

"We haven't anyone dire at Defence either" said Wido "Just a few who struggle a little. Well unless you count Lysander Weasley who when in doubt identifies any dark creature he's asked to describe as 'something nasty from some other country probably' and who has a vague idea that dark magic may encompass the bat-bogey hex. At least, when writing a list of dark jinxes he included that for want of knowing anything nastier."

"I suppose it's to his credit that he does NOT know anything nastier" sighed David. "MSHG?"

"Yes; and he needs it" said Wido. "Can I have another cup of tea please?"

David grinned; he could not resist.

"You can and what is more you may" he said.

"Pedantic bastard; easy to see Severus Snape had the raising of YOU!" said Wido amicably.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

For the first years the end of term exams would determine what stream they would be in for the core subjects; which was a matter of some importance, though it had been stressed that if they managed to improve they might move up a stream, or if they were out of their depth they might move down a stream without loss of face because that would give them a better chance of doing better come the OWLs. The Hunting Marauders tended to ruthlessly coach their own to make sure those who knew what they were talking about might raise the game of those who struggled; though as Jala said, no amount of work was ever going to put her in the upper stream for charms where she had something of a blind spot; and Habbuk confessed to feeling the same about Transfigurations and preferred, if nobody minded, to get the extra coaching with his fellow dunces and maybe hope to rise that way. Richard, disappointed, had stopped trying to push them, after Rose had poked him and reminded him that the blood joining would help their understanding on an instinctive level later.

The MSHG pulled up those who belonged to it in DADA of course; at least in basic knowledge if not in instinctive understanding.

And the exam would sort out those who were borderline, and give them something to work towards or provide them with extra help or encourage them to stay up with the higher group according to their result and needs.

oOoOo

The exams were marked quickly to put the children out of their misery; and the split was fairly similar, thirty-three in the A stream in Charms and thirty-four each in potions and transfigurations, with twenty-one or –two in the B streams. It was not surprising that DADA had a better result, with forty-one in the A stream, which could be accounted for by the MSHG bringing on those who belonged. The proportion of the B streams who would find it hard to scrape a pass at OWL even with coaching was smaller; eleven in Transfigurations, seven in charms, nine in potions and just three in DADA.

What was useful to see was who appeared on more than two B lists; and that Grinlock Black-Weasley, Abigail Murdock and Crispin Ellis appeared on all four was rather a disgrace; especially for Abigail and Crispin who were Ravenclaws and might be expected to be a little more able. Abigail was truly bad at potions only; and even so within reach of doing much better. David wrote on her end of term report,

"Abigail has found the discipline of work a little hard and has not performed to what I consider to be her true standard. She is a clever enough girl but rather inclined to get carried away organising others rather than herself. If she can turn her organisational skills inward to get her work sorted out I think she will improve no end."

Crispin's main blind spot was transfigurations; and once again he had no severe failing with it, not such as could not be overcome by hard work and theory to back up shaky practical work. David wrote,

"Crispin is rather fond of his abilities in Arithmancy; and although Arithmancy is the basis for all higher magics, it does actually help if basic magic could be mastered first. Being used to being praised for one talent has made Crispin lazy and if he cannot break this habit I fear he will remain where he is in the lower stream of ALL the core subjects and will be forced to seek employment in the muggle world where at least he may convert his Arithmancy to a muggle skill."

Crispin was rather a loud-mouth; a little comeuppance would NOT hurt. David wondered in passing if the arithmancer Cornelius Fenwick had been similar; but NOT sat on firmly for his narrow minded interests. Cassandra Bode, whose one true skill was Divination had some excuse; all her talent had gone into making her a seer, but the child did at least try and though she was on three B lists at least picked up enough in the MSHG not to be in the bottom group of DADA.

He might as well do her next.

"Cassandra is not talented outside of her specialist field as a diviner but she tries hard. As she has managed well with DADA I might suggest she aim to do well too in Astronomy and Arithmancy which would give her between them a range of career options as she grows up. She needs to consider her options as she is not a true seer as her brother is; but her talent is undoubted and with back up subjects she should do well in life."

The poor child had parents who saw her gift and Julian's and little else alas.

He moved to the third child who was on all four lists, Grinlock.

"Grinlock is an excellent arithmancer and inclined to rest on his laurels concerning this" he wrote "However good he may be at Arithmancy it will do him no good without the back-up of a basic grounding in the core curriculum. Grinlock is in the bottom stream of all four of these subjects, and apart from DADA where he has a blind spot as anyone might this is down to a lack of hard work."

He thought he might as well do the other two of the triplets too.

"Hazo is in three of the four lower streams in the core subjects" he wrote "Which is largely because he is lazy. Hazo is capable of much more. He and his brother could both do much better with a little application" he sighed and picked up another form for their sister.

"Mabelinn has done very well" he wrote "She has a total lack of understanding about potions and a blind spot over charms but she has worked hard and well at other subjects and is working well even in those subjects she finds hard. She has also taken the initiative to negotiate taking two electives that would normally clash as she exceeds expectations in both. She is a model student."

A bit too model in some ways; Mabelinn was not quite a prig but she would not have been out of place in a Victorian ladies' academy.

He wrote similar comments of stern admonishment tempered with encouragement on the reports of all those who were on three or more B lists, adjuring them to do better and pointing out that the lower stream would help them to improve.

It was conversely very nice to write about those who were on four A lists; which covered the greater part of the Marauders-in-waiting and their closer cronies because self-help groups did work. And as the B stream really was only for those who needed extra help, the number on all four A stream lists was a greater number. Even if some of them were a trifle borderline in some of the subjects. Like Ariadne Ollerton who had worked hard enough to scrape into the A stream in Charms and DADA as well as being well up in Transfigurations; and he praised her industry and hoped she would maintain her standards and might be transferred too with hard work from the B stream of Potions. Gryffindors responded to praise tempered with urgings to hard work. Ravenclaws required a degree of needling; Hufflepuffs could be appealed to respond to buckling down and getting on; and generally Slytherin needed handling carefully and on a case by case basis. Just to be awkward.

Like Agatha Montague.

"Agatha would do better if she paid more attention to her work and less to trying to push her class mates about; because sooner or later they will become sick of it and exert peer pressure" wrote David "I should feel happier if her moderate successes in DADA were more inclined towards the intent of the class and not a desire to explore the Dark Arts; she might wish to recall that Durmstrang teaches the Dark Arts only; and consistently loses in duels to Hogwarts because of their lack of depth. Agatha's lack of manners are a cause for concern and have brought her to the verge of being excluded from several classes; if she has a problem in her life may I suggest that she brings it to one of the staff to sort out rather than taking out her pre-teenage angst on her fellows."

She probably had harsh and bullying parents; but he could not let her behaviour go. And the Marauders of the first had not yet broken through to her. Well it might take a while; by all accounts it had taken even Bella several years to get through to Mafalda Prewett, poor unhappy child.

oOoOo

Concerning Mafalda, the Belle Marauders had discussed whether they wanted to take Lilith's advice and blood her; and decided against it.

"She's a reasonable sort of oik now but I don't want her as my sister unless she falls for one of our brothers in which case I guess that'll be okay" said Drusillina.

The others agreed.

oOoOo

Mafalda had no idea that she had almost been asked to join the Marauders; and might not have considered it a flattering offer if she had. Grateful as she was for their intervention that had saved her from mental abuse – in effect – from her parents there was to her a streak of calculating self preservation engendered by her upbringing. And it was this hard streak that the Belle Marauders had been repelled by. Blooding might have given her feelings for others than herself; but as things stood her contemporaries rebelled against being so open to her. Mafalda was glad of their friendship; and gave what friendship she was capable of feeling back to them, for they were well connected, or at least Bella was and so too were her friends through their membership in the Marauders. Mimi's adoptive father was a power too in the wizarding world; Drusillina's parents not insignificant, and Isabel and Maud were marrying men who were well known in Malfoy Manor. And she, Mafalda, was going to the Ball with Alexander Yaxley, who was a Malfoy cousin – one of the three very eligible bachelors in the year, along with his cousins Jocelyn Malfoy and Ian Malfoy – who was as dedicated to academic excellence as she was. As indeed were his two cousins. And Drusillina was going with Jocelyn and Maud with Ian, which was almost a waste of eligible bachelors since those two were already betrothed. Isabel and Mimi were going together because of the shortage of boys in the year. And without being really racist, Mafalda was glad that she would not have to go with one of the two goblin boys in her year for already having a partner! Terazhor Kordach was going with Krezala gan Genzad the only female goblin in the year and they were pretty much an item; Sorjak Konal, brother of the first goblin ever in Hogwarts, had asked Suisen Suzaku, the Japanese girl who was not perhaps too keen but was trying manfully not to be racist.

It would be interesting to see who Jack Murray and Sekunder Singh, the quidditch stars of the year took; and whether they stayed in house or not, thought Mafalda.

She found out through the Belle Marauders that the Patil twins were to go with Sekunder and his friend Oliver Harris, Sampta cheerfully going with a boy from another house to have the opportunity to talk quidditch; and Jack was taking Avice Crawford, her friend Venilia Cornfoot taking firmly the Hufflepuff muggleborn boy Norman Whytely.

oOoOo

The day of the ball duly dawned and there was much primping and preparation attended by nervous giggles, last minute nerves and some inevitable tears as relationships were strained. The stable couples and those going merely with friends looked upon such hysterics with vague wonder and incomprehension.

"What are you going to do when you leave school, Alexander?" Mafalda asked her partner idly while the mayhem went on around them.

"Eh? Oh I'm going to be an auror like cousins Draco and Gorbrin" said Alexander. "My father was a deatheater you know; and I want to oppose everything he stood for. I wish I could talk Joss into joining me because he's sure to get the grades but his greatest ambition is to help his dad catalogue his library and then maybe teach. How about you?"

"I thought about teaching; and I also considered journalism" said Mafalda "For somebody reputable, like Mr Malfoy; investigative journalism you know, not stupid social stories or human interest crap."

"Oh well you might uncover stuff the auror's office will be interested in then" said Alexander "And better that you let US know than poke around for yourself after a certain point; there are some dangerous people out there who would cheerfully kill to keep their murky little secrets covered up."

"So long as I had a reciprocal agreement to be given juicy stories" said Mafalda.

Alexander shrugged.

"I made the suggestion for your safety not my career; and I didn't mean necessarily me you silly article" he said "I don't especially want to be examining your body for clues about your death. Whether you got told anything would I guess be down to how amenable you were to writing only what you were told you might and to presenting it lucidly and fairly without any skew to the story. I don't know; I'm not an auror yet and I don't know how they handle the press. Probably as little as possible; being an auror is a serious job and I shouldn't think that answering frivolous questions from dippy reporters was top of the list of priorities."

That was NOT a good start to the conversation; and Mafalda rapidly mentally discarded Alexander as a possible boyfriend. In truth she had thought seriously very little beyond taking a year in Prince Peak to learn higher magic; though she was certainly toying with the idea of teaching in Corbin's Academy and – as she had told the Marauders – quietly usurping it. Only it was starting to look more and more difficult and it seemed like a good idea to have a second career choice. Mafalda had no intention of going through the hard slog it took to be an auror; but poking her nose in as a journalist had its attractions.

She wished she had the blinding certainty of what she wanted to do the way the marauders always seemed to.

oOoOo

The time came to go in to the ball; and Bella as Head Girl led the way, dressed in a sari of graduated orange through to cream over a black tight-sleeved gown with a subtle thread of gold in it. The sari was heavily embroidered and Bella looked extremely exotic. Assim as her partner had put on his full regalia, a stiff magnificent silk brocade robe also heavily embroidered, turban, and jewels that shone like a coruscating constellation of stars. He looked every inch of what he was; a wealthy prince of an excitingly different culture and not the least like the professor of an English school.

There were quite a lot of gasps of appreciation and not a little envy of Bella; and it may be said that a number of girls who had never given Professor Khan a second look because he was just some foreign teacher of a slightly way-out subject were suddenly wishing that they had taken comparative magic and managed to pip Bella Black to such a prize. Persephone Plunkett, a Hufflepuff, went so far as to complain to Miriam Moonshine that if he was a real prince and as wealthy as he looked it was a shame and a waste that he should marry a girl who was already well off in her own right. Miriam laughed and pointed out that old money almost always married old money and she would not be surprised, Indians being Indians, if he had not taken up teaching at Hogwarts purely because he had arranged a marriage of Bella with Lucius Malfoy when she was still a child.

Persephone was shocked and managed to corner Bella to ask if this was true.

Bella laughed.

"Not in the least" she said "Mohini Malik was his mother's choice of bride for him; but he talked very fast to her parents to see her educated instead, along with his niece Jayashree. I asked Lucius to make loose arrangements with Assim some years ago but I don't hold with arranged marriages per se and I reckon I'd have taken against him on principles if that HAD been the case; stubborn, me. Who's spreading that crap?"

"Miriam" said Persephone "Well it was a guess she made because of old money marrying old money."

"Oh well that's old fashioned too" said Bella "It's handy that we're both rich because we can spend more making sure the poor and magically active on India actually get a chance to grow up for not starving to death in a gutter because the poverty there is just awful. Half the children who actually survive being born – which isn't a given – die before they are five years old. Wizarding folk are much more on the fringes of society save those who are ridiculously wealthy and it's time to do something about it."

"I didn't know it was that bad" said Persephone, who considered herself poor but not by those standards.

"I'm afraid it may be worse" said Bella gravely "But we shall do all we can to alleviate it."

Mimi and Isabel had also dressed in saris to accompany Bella and Assim as attendants; and the décor, which had been organised by the Belle Marauders under the auspices of Bella as Head Girl was decidedly eastern in nature. Bella had drawn on a combination of the palace where Assim and family lived when at home and various sumptuous films, and the illusion of white marble abounded with bright throws and cushions, and the cotton fish confined temporarily in a marble pool that actually drew more on Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema than India – Bella had her artistic prejudices – and song birds sang in an acacia tree in an ornate pot. The music was provided by a group of Indian musicians that Assim had found who played a lot of western music too and managed a synthesis of styles that enabled an exotic feel to be given to the old Christmas carols and dance favourites. And one of them was talented enough that the playing of his sitar made visible musical notes arise from the strings and transfigure into little birds. It was delightful; or so at least Bella thought. Sampta and Sita, who were to join her teaching, were delighted with such a synthesis of cultures too that would help them adjust to their family culture that was, even so, alien to girls who were decidedly English in their outlook when it came down to it.

The school was to be run on firmly English lines in any case which would help; as Bella had no intention of permitting her female pupils to be downtrodden!

oOoOo

Minerva looked at Sextus dancing with Lilith – the Stripy marauders danced with skill because Lilith had made sure of it because you could use dancing to do so much pattern magic as well as other stuff – and remarked to Filius Flitwick,

"You cuid a'most see Severus dancing wi' Lily Evans in yon wee couple".

"Bless my soul, Minerva, it hadn't occurred to me but you're right!" Filius replied. "And young Sextus might so well have been as inward looking as Severus but for young Lilith; save that she knows when she has the right one and how to hang on to him."

"Severus scarcely went out of his way to endear himself to Lily" said Minerva "And James Potter was in her house and the one who defied the dark lord."

"Though not, in the end, as successfully as Severus" said Flitwick dryly. "Boys find it hard to present themselves when romance rears its ugly head; a sad fact but true. Young Krait fortunately was never one to take Severus' darkling looks and stern demeanour very seriously however; for which we may all be thankful else we might not have had so total a victory. I swear Severus being happy contributed to the success of the whole affair!"

"Oh I don't say ye're wrong Filius" said Minerva "And she did a muckle lot tae meld unlikely people taegither; wha'd have thought Draco would have turned out so likeable a boy afther a'! Weel, wondering what micht hae been if circumstances had been slightly different is a futile exercise."

"You're not interested then in the theory Lilith propounded to me of parallel universes in which events proceeded on a different course then?" squeaked Flitwick slyly.

Minerva looked horrified.

"Och, is it no' enough for her tae have tae visit the wrang universe from the wand o' that shilpit wee sumpf wi'oot pondering on mair?" she cried in horror, emotion thickening her brogue.

Flitwick chuckled.

"Oh our Lilith demanded to revisit the evanesco place – with appropriate safeguards – in order to study its physical characteristics and write them up" he said "She told me about it; and how she talked Severus into organising it by blackmailing him into worrying that she might do it alone."

Minerva threw up her hands.

"Wha' can we dae wi' a child like that?" she declared "Mercy be, she's extraordinary!"

"All we can do, Minerva, is to educate her to the best of our ability and help her wild experiments with as much level headed planning as possible" said Flitwick "And try to head her off from some of her wilder conjectures that we think might get her killed. She is a genius; and she loves finding out. And at least that boy Sextus is level headed enough to keep her from any wilder fits of finding out things that nobody knows."

"Weel I hope you're right, Filius" said Minerva "For I love her weel."

"As I think do all the staff" said Filius softly. "I for one have never seen the unflappable David Fraser so upset in all the time I've known him; by comparison he took fighting deatheaters, werewolves and even Voldemort completely in his stride."

"She's a wee sister to him ye ken" said Minerva "And one of the things he told me when he was a junior was that his own sister died wi' their parents in an awfu' accident. It was why he was no' adopted by Severus; because he missed his ane folk too raw tae ca' anither man 'faither'."

"That explains a lot" said Filius "Thank you for telling me, Minerva."

oOoOo

David HAD been shocked and upset; and considered himself unreasonably badly affected. That the girl Xanthia had hit upon a perfect murder spell had also occurred to him, and he had made sure to have all the sixth formers who had witnessed it to tea, ostensibly to help them come to terms with it and actually to plant compulsions in those he felt hasty of temper or less than scrupulous to prevent them using the same spell on a being and to discourage the rest from speaking about it too freely. For the same reason, the trial of Xanthia Fawcett was being held _in camera_;the lack of any outside of the judiciary being present was ostensibly because her actions were considered those of insanity and if she was mentally ill she needed some protection. And David had been to explain his belief that she WAS insane, which testimony had induced a frothing rage from Xanthia refuting this and screeching that he was part of the conspiracy against her; which had rather reinforced David's point.

He was also feeling low because Tarri, in an effort to cheer him up had explained that the house elves of Hogwarts could have found Miss Lilith as she was their little Mistress during her time at school and could find their way back same as those elves who had been vanished by pupils or professors in a rage though they did not always live long after, but Tarri declared that for a little mistress the wizards and witches would find ways to get rid of the 'stuffs' as she described the fungi. David was both touched by the loyalty of the elves and horrified that they took the concept of enraged masters vanishing them almost as a given. Tarri explained brightly that elves were resistant to damage and if set fire to had a good chance of burning off the fungi and of surviving.

David was even more determined to work towards elven freedom; and spoke to Vespasian Jugson who had, after all, worked in the elf reassignment office and had wanted to see the more initiative filled ones freed.

"People who do that sort of thing to their elves certainly don't deserve to have them" said Vespasian "I think, you know, I might put a bit of the black onto the current fellow in charge of elf reassignment; I know a few things about him. I think I can get him to reassign elves more or less alternately to Lucius Malfoy and Hogwarts School and then YOU can work towards freeing them. It's really quite a disgrace that our upper class families DO rely on slaves. Servants, that's one thing; of any race there are going to be those who can only ever take orders and have no great ability beyond a well drilled task. But slaves – no."

This tallied remarkably well with David's own views.

And David was careful not to let any of his negative feelings show at the Yule Ball which was supposed to be a happy event – Krait's comments about Schardenfreude in her younger days naytheless – and he smiled with genuine pleasure on Bella and her beloved Assim and on Lilith teaching Sextus complex steps to the latter's mild grumbling.

And Bella and Assim were dancing as though there was nobody else in the universe; which for them there was not.

"I do want to tail-flirt with you" whispered Bella.

"Hrrr" said Assim "You are a bad girl; and when we are married you may tail flirt all you like."

Bella gave a deep chuckle of delight.

"Oh I shall Assim; and I shall do your fluffy white tummy all I want!"

"Until I cuff you and roll you over to sort you out" said Assim.

Bella got hot all over and purred loudly, briefly drowning out the music.

oOoOo

Term ended and Bella and Assim went together to Malfoy Manor with the other Belle Marauders – joined in short order by their own fiancés – where she was to be launched in the wedding of the winter. Lucius had been persuading the weather to produce a decent sprinkling of snow for picturesque effect – which as Narcissa said was truly sweet but how like Lucius - and just to scotch any unpleasant rumours concerning Bella and Assim, Krait quietly 'went unicorn' for Bella to ride across the grounds on her back, gleaming whiter than the snow.

Bella was gowned in flowing white, trimmed with white fur and a cloak trimmed with swansdown around the hood and her black ringlets loose beneath it. She glowed with happiness. Assim was dressed in black and white brocade, in a stylised stripe made of leafy swags with tight white trousers, high boots and a white turban decorated with a ruby pin holding one of the pearlescent white peacock feathers. He looked quite splendid and just exotic enough.

Naturally the press were there; Lucius had no intention of permitting anyone to whisper that his sister-in-law had been married in any hole-in-the-corner fashion. Bella did not care; she had a presence that responded well to an audience. And she was surrounded by her family, given away by Lucius and supported by her sister as matron of honour and all her best friends as bridesmaids. And then she was truly married to her beloved Tiger!

"Madam Khan, will you find it hard to adapt to a life surrounded by poverty in India?" asked one of the reporters.

"The whole point is to try to reduce poverty, at least for our pupils and protégés" said Bella "Do you mean will I dress down appropriately? Yes, obviously; but then I don't often dress up to this level of excess. A girl is permitted to be a trifle flighty on her wedding day I think; but I shall not stop looking my best. Our pupils will deserve colour and gaiety in their lives and to have something to strive for. Not the false dreams of Bollywood, where the poor may lose themselves for a few hours in vicariously entering a world of colour and richness and fantasy; but the chance to truly earn well. And we shall be encouraging such subjects as magic in metalwork and art and sewing so that our pupils may earn a little during their leisure hours by making such things as will be sold for them in England in my cousin Wendy Malfoy's shop; as she has agreed to take such items without charging any commission. Will I weep for the hopeless lives I cannot touch? Probably. India is a land of contrasts; of great beauty and great ugliness. If you want to understand you should visit. And by the way, technically it's 'Khanum' not 'Khan' though a lot of people nowadays don't bother with the correct Urdu. It's a very ancient title spreading as far west as Bulgaria where, incidentally, you may find a Khan Krum – which tickles my sense of humour as I'm now related to Viktor Krumm through marriage – and as far east as China where it became 'Han' as in the Han Dynasty or 'Xan' a personal name meaning hero. Associated largely with the Mongols who brought the Ilkhanate with the Golden Horde to Persia it is however a name that is also a title throughout the Eastern world, though more by nature in the more westerly reaches of the equivalent of 'Esquire' in modern times. Does that cover everything?"

"Er, yes Madam Khanum, more than everything" said the reporter, whose quick-quotes pen was drooping reproachfully at having to manage too many unfamiliar words.

oOoOo

Bella and her husband circulated at the inevitable party; Lucius loved his parties. And by the look of it, reflected Bella, he had picked up another wife in the girl Biirta who plainly adored him, and too all his other women. Bella wished her every happiness; Life did not get much better than being married to your own true beloved. Gorbrin and Meliandra seemed to agree since they had some leave from their Auror training; they had brought Hugin Corbin too, who was dancing with Zajala. Zajala had brought Nigel Baddock and his sister to Malfoy Manor for Christmas too but she was not looking on him as a mate, Bella thought; was she after the handsome Corbin boy? They certainly seemed to have a lot to talk about.

So too did Vladimir Malfoy and Crocosmia Bullivant, Vladimir blushing furiously – really, Malfoys should not be allowed to blush, it showed too much on such pale complexions – after Pericles Bullivant had talked to him seriously. Well Crocosmia had always had something of a thing about Vladimir but presumably it was more serious than she, Bella had realised; of course Crocosmia was a couple of years older than her. She hoped they would get sorted out; there was nothing as nice as being thoroughly sorted out.

And various of her companions were finding quiet corners to give their respective boyfriends a thorough kissing; well they could have all got married together if only Maud had not pointed out that David Fraser might have had conniptions if they all got pregnant and were all having babies soon after exams. It would not be soon after exams even if they fell pregnant right away; it would be in the summer holidays unless they were stupidly early.

Of course if one had a litter they MIGHT be frightfully early; but Bella had no intention of worrying about THAT unless she had to! Kittens would be nice when they came; and they would come when it was right and proper for them to come. Bella had a very laid back attitude towards nature in that respect; which she attributed to being an animagus and hence closer to nature and Mimi attributed to it just being Bella.

It may be said that Bella undertook a partial transfiguration in order to tail-flirt outrageously with her husband as the party went on into the evening; until the point at which he picked her up and carried her off, giggling madly.

"Bella" he said in his purry, growly voice.

"Oh Assim!" said Bella "Wash me lots and then love me!"

Assim gazed down at her with adoring golden eyes; then stripped off his wedding finery to turn into the huge Bengal tiger that was his other form. And Bella slowly stripped for him, wriggling from time to time and flirting the tail she still had towards him to ripple across his face and chest.

Assim pushed her down with a huge pug and proceeded to wash her, very slowly and deliberately; and then he was changing back into his human form to push her down into the pillows and kiss her, and not have to hold back this time.

Bella purred and bit him and gave herself to her lover.

And then he must change form to spend the obligatory eight hours in tiger form; and Bella changed too into her animagus tiger form and curled up against him.

Her smell was too much for him; and Bella was very thoroughly loved in tiger form too.

They slept and loved and slept again throughout the night; and Bella was well content.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Bella's was not the only wedding out of Malfoy Manor; but the other wedding was a quiet affair by the request of the bride and groom both. Lucius' half sister Alcippe – or Pippa to the family – whom he had rescued firmly from being a rather ill-treated kept woman in the dubious care of Lester Macmillan, who had also sired her daughter Cerellia, had met, and fallen in love with Lucius' cousin Orme who had divorced his wife when he discovered she was involved in goblin coursing. Orme's son Jocelyn, who was in Bella's year at school, considered Cerellia a great kid to have as a sister; though he conceded that as he only had this one more year at school it would be foolish for her to transfer to Hogwarts when she had friends at Prince Peak. They had reached the point of friendship wherein they bickered cheerfully and jinxed each other surreptitiously at the wedding so were like any other siblings as Lucius said cheerfully. Cerellia adored her mother and wanted her to be happy; and Jocelyn felt much the same about his father and wished only to preserve him from the designs of the more predatory females after a Malfoy scalp; so as Jocelyn said, having his dad married safely to a decent type like Pippa meant that his dad was now safe from the Pansy Parkinsons and Morgana Fairchilds of life. And Cerellia said that an academic type like Orme was not hardly likely to be a user and actually she really liked him so she knew he'd take care of her mum. They were each fonder of their new step parent that such lukewarm statements might lead one to believe; but as both young people were reserved about deeper feelings they both knew what the other meant.

oOoOo

Bella and Assim had discussed names for any cubs they had; and had come to the compromise that they should be named after stars like the Black family but in Hindi, with names like Dhruva, the Pole star, Vishakha, some of the stars in Libra which was sacred to tigers and Chitra, Spica, known as the bright one and also associated with tigers for a girl. Rohini for a girl was associated with snakes and so suitable for a Slytherin; it was the Hindi name for Aldebaran. Ardra and Aslesha were other female names, Ardra being Betelgeuse and Aslesha having serpentine connections too; being the constellation known as Hydra. Further names for boys might be Magha, the great one, the Hindi for Regulus; or Svati, the sword or independence, being Arcturus. For Bella there was a comfort in taking a family tradition into her new life. And four names each of boys and girls was far enough into the future to plan; Bella did not intend to wear herself out with child bearing though she did want a nice big family. It was not, after all, as though she and Assim could not afford it!

Bella was dragged from thoughts of her own prospective cubs by Lucius to deal with a new boy who would be joining Hogwarts after the holidays.

Lucius had invited his prospective fifth wife for the holidays – as though he were the Indian potentate forsooth, as Bella teased him – together with her kid brother and little sister. Little Heloise settled in with Pieris, the only other girl her age, as though she had always lived with them; Petrus was a child who whined and, Lucius explained to Bella, had always been inclined to hang on his sister. Their mother had died soon after Heloise was born and their father, unable to cope, had committed suicide, leaving eleven-year-old Biirta in charge. The orphanage they had fetched up in had been dire but Biirta did all she could to protect her siblings. And perhaps in Petrus' case it had been too much; since the boy had a streak of weakness and selfishness to his character like their father. As Head Girl, Lucius asked Bella to keep half an eye open for the boy, not to insulate him but to try to explain WHY any actions he took might land him in trouble. Away from a sister to batten off, and so long as he was unaware that Bella WAS looking out for him, Lucius felt the boy would have little choice but to stand on his own feet which would be good for him as well as relieving Biirta's mind no end. Bella agreed; she was not sure what she would do, as she admitted freely, if any of her own nieces and nephews wanted to hang whining around her or expect her – as apparently Petrus had done – to do their homework for them! The description of him as a scabby little git, Bella's initial reaction, was tempered with sympathy when Lucius pointed out that he had probably initially fallen into an apathy of medical depression that the orphanage had not addressed; and that he had been feeding him surreptitious potions to counteract it, stepping down the dose as term time grew closer. Reedy would apparate to Hogwarts to feed him the lowest dose in his pumpkin juice for a couple of weeks and then he should be sorted out.

Bella approved. She was surprised it had not occurred to Jade; but then Lucius was more tolerant than Jade who probably did not see why it should be the younger and protected child who suffered from depression if Biirta did not. Sometimes Jade had her prejudices.

Assim's nieces and nephews – who had stayed with them for the wedding, as had Mohini Malik as his term-time ward – were raring to tell everyone all about the wedding, and there was a difference of opinion on the way that made Jark stop the Rolls and threaten to make Mohini and Jayashree walk to London for the train if they could not behave like little ladies. Jayashree had passed the comment that she liked the way people did weddings in England, quick and quiet; and Mohini declared that she was not going to be done out of her three days of wedding preparations and display and if she was Bella she would not feel properly married. Jayashree had told her not to be a silly clunch and not to even suggest such a thing because it was almost slander and high words ran quickly. Jark pulled over when wands started to emerge; though Bella quickly disarmed them and confiscated the wands for the rest of the trip.

"And what's more" said Bella "You can write me a prefect impot; two reps each of Kipling's 'The Female of the Species is more Deadly than the Male' to remind yourselves that high words might get either of you in trouble with me for slandering me and saying I'm not properly married – which I am – or for letting down marauders by going for wands; and that I am most deadly of all either on a silly little girl who cares for nothing but display or a marauder who ought to be old enough to know better. I've made notes on all your name-calling and arguments and if you don't behave from now on I'll have the Malfoy-Tobak twins read it out in silly voices to the whole school to show how childish some fourth years can get."

They flushed and subsided; and Jayashree, almost in tears, begged Bella's pardon for letting marauders down.

oOoOo

Petrus had found the fight intimidating and had scringed up in the corner and hoped not to get noticed while Drogo and Varjak were making smug noises.

"Take no notice of the elderly types Petrus" said Penny "OR of my brothers. We nicely behaved types shan't have to walk if we only extend our smugness to looks."

"Quite right Miss Penny" said Jark "Put a lid on it you boys, AND Mr Hasibul too and anyone else who happens to think I might be joking."

Those who were making smug noises subsided instantly.

oOoOo

Petrus also found Platform nine-and-three-quarters rather intimidating; but Drogo manhandled him through the wall with cheerful despatch and hailed another boy with relief.

"Bones! Just the fellow!" said Drogo "This here is Petrus Hess; he's from Germany; thinks he might like to be in Hufflepuff. Our loss on the quidditch pitch; he's a demon player. Alexander Bones is a pretty good player himself, Hess; he can give you a lowdown on Hufflepuff House from the inside to see if you still like the idea."

"Thanks er Malfoy" said Petrus adapting to being referred to by his surname.

"Petrus? We don't go for the caddish surname crap the way those stuck up Slythers do" said Alexander "And I can tease Drogo because he's one that takes it in the right spirit….. House rivalry should not be taken too seriously."

"And that" murmured Varjak to Drogo "Is why Huffers so rarely win the Quidditch Shield; they don't know how to differentiate inter-house co-operation and a proper level of rivalry."

"Well that's Huffers for you" said Drogo. "Nice kids on the whole. Heads full of suet."

Alexander introduced Petrus to his own set, all of whom Petrus found quiet and unthreatening, especially beside the loud Malfoy family. The Malfoys were awfully kind, and the kids plainly got on, whatever their race – which had astounded Petrus – but they were rather challenging to be with. His desire to be in Hufflepuff increased.

oOoOo

The train journey was not entirely uneventful; the train came to a sudden halt in a tunnel. Bella sighed and ran up to the front to find out what was wrong, as behoved the Head Girl; Kevin Slugworthy as train prefect accompanied her.

"'Tain't my fault" said the driver "There's a muggle train accident on the line we shares with them; they're getting it cleared but we'll have to wait. At least it means THEY'LL reschedule stuff too so we shan't be caught up with by any other muggle train. I figured sitting tight in the tunnel – which is in OUR world – until it was sorted was the best thing to do."

"Oh absolutely" said Bella. "I'll go and reassure the kids."

The kids – substantial portions of them – were singing 'Where was Moses when the lights went out'; except the Stripy marauders who were managing four part harmony on Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark'.

The Stripy Marauders were at least melodious so Bella let it go.

She told the trainfull, using sonorous, that it was a good opportunity to practice their light spells and for any first years who had forgotten the word was '_lux'_ and when all was sorted it could be cancelled with '_nox'._ She added sententiously that older classes might practice varying the brightness.

It was a spell most of the small Malfoys were casting on fingers not wands at about the age of five but one had to recall that not all families taught such broad skills.

She then went to confiscate the fireworks that Seb Rice and Balduk gan Zelbukek were setting off on the grounds, she said sternly, that they could not see where they were aiming them and too as they were not designed for enclosed spaces the stink of cordite was a little excessive.

Glowing and insubstantial guitar tabs wafting out of the compartment of the Stripy Marauders were at least non harmful. And Bella liked the music of Iron Maiden anyway.

Then they were on their way and the Stripy Marauders were involved in a high level arithmantic discussion leading form another 'Maiden' hit, 'Number of the Beast' about why there was very little in this supposedly demonic number. Sextus maintained that six-six-one was more powerful because of being a prime number and Lilith argued that six-six-seven, the neighbour of the beast, as you might say, had the power of being divisible by twenty-three.

They seemed happily occupied with post NEWT discussion which was way over Bella's head. Really, the easiest thing to do about the Stripy Marauders was just to leave them to it.

oOoOo

The school duly arrived safely and the first thing to happen was the hatting of Petrus. He had been duly warned about the sorting hat, and so approached it with less trepidation than he might have otherwise done.

Needless to say he ended up in Hufflepuff, and flushed, pleased, to the rousing cheers, unaware that Drogo had thoughtfully spread the word that he was a real talent at quidditch to help ease the boy in. Petrus might, argued Drogo, be a better type if he had support and popularity as WELL as being expected to buckle down and work. And such was the responsibility of marauders. The Hufflepuffs he had spoken to knew that any Malfoy knew their quidditch – and Drogo himself was a force to be reckoned with on the Slytherin team – and took him seriously. It would add to the generally friendly nature of the house.

oOoOo

"Y'know" said Lilith to Kazrael "The hat really does look decrepit; I'm going to skank it out of David's office at some point and ask if it wouldn't like a bit of a refurbishment."

Kazrael looked dubious.

"CAN it be refurbished? And won't it spoil the enchantment?"

"I was thinking of adding an outside layer…. Or maybe, adding random patches with herringbone stitch in crazy patchwork, perhaps in the colours of all the houses for a bit of symbolism that should enhance it's abilities; especially if I sing while I sew."

"Well ask it first" said Kazrael "The poor thing might not like to be suddenly gaudy."

Lilith beamed.

"Well anything that can sing songs that are so much doggerel as the hat manages has to be quite as much a wandering minstrel as Nanki-Poo and his rags and patches."

"Leave Gilbert and Sullivan out of this" interposed Nathan. "Just ask!"

"I'm GOING to!" said Lilith.

oOoOo

After the obligatory feast, David Fraser rose. The school fell silent.

"Welcome back to a new term" said David "And no excuses for the winter blues, with New Zealand to visit. I want to put a proposal to – well, mostly the upper school, though it will ultimately affect some of you younger ones too. Unless there is a lot of protest, this is a plan I mean to implement from the next year – that there should be a class called the Special Sixth. This will cater to those people who wish to study a subject not usually covered by NEWTs to give a better chance of a career in a chosen field. I am speaking about such subjects as music for the performer rather than music in magic; or gardening, rather than the stressful Herbology NEWT. I have spoken to the examinations board and the concept of vocational subjects taught to a higher standard than the practical level of OWL and yet without the theory of NEWT level work has been welcomed; and we hope that this will mean that some of you who are nervous of tackling NEWTs will still feel able to stay on for further qualifications and learning. Also those who have a particular talent – like musical performance, or accountancy – which does not fit in with the currently available exams. The studies you choose would include actual experience in a real job training alongside professionals; and the ability to specialise. Studies I have been listing besides gardening, music and accounting include nursing, office skills, horse handling, management, sewing, printmaking, cabinet making and driving muggle cars with car maintenance. It may be that other subjects are added; the list is to remain loose and indeed a specialist study might be negotiated. This qualification is to be called the HIVE, the Higher Instruction of Vocational Endeavour. Some of you taking this course may take a NEWT or two alongside it as well; the level of instruction on a practical basis will make each course worth about one and a half NEWTs; and a lot of the grade will be obtained in credits given for coursework. This is a qualification that suits the hard worker I heard that Mr Scrimgeour and the comment does you no credit; your own grades are not such as to make you likely to be an ornament to your house in terms of the number of NEWTs YOU may leave with."

Ingram Scrimgeour burned; for a lower sixth to be pulled up by the Head was embarrassing. But then, as Wendy Waffling said, serve him right for making patronising comments about it being suited for Huffer-duffers.

Sampta rose.

"And some of us might look upon the opportunity to study gardening as an adjunct to Potioneering who would not consider Herbology I should think" she said "If there is the opportunity too to take a couple of NEWTs; we aren't all as academic as the Belle Marauders after all."

"Hey, most of us are only taking five NEWTs" said Bella.

"That IS academic" said Norman Whytely. "Yes, Scrimgeour, we do all acknowledge that there tends to be a higher dropout in the sixth of us Huffers. There's also a high level of Ravenclaw hysterics and expulsion; which if the individual talents in say musical expression could be channelled and addressed might relieve the highly strung of their stresses that can lead to unfortunate behaviour patterns."

"Nicely put, Norman" said David. "Though Hufflepuff House takes hard workers, it is also open minded enough and generous enough to take those who find academe difficult; which should be praiseworthy and not a cause for derision. I would rather deride those who are sharp enough to cut themselves. And other houses do too have dropout; for one reason or another. And there are those people who are not INTERESTED in academe; and those who have a vocation – like nursing – wherein such a practical qualification would be ideal and would be a step towards converting it for subsequent healer training. There are plenty of people across all houses who have been unable to fulfil an urge to heal for the failure to be accepted onto a transfiguration NEWT course. This gives such people a chance of fulfilling a dream."

He was given an ovation.

And the idea certainly appealed to Genevieve Harris of Gryffindor who was musical but not especially academic; and the idea of studying performance through music alongside a single Chanting NEWT was attractive to her, for one; and the idea of studying nursing without having to wrestle with the theory of Assimilative Correlation in Transfigurations appealed to Heloise Pomfrey in Hufflepuff.

And to Joshua Jones in the same house, whose squib father was caretaker at Rowan House; to whom the idea of learning to drive and service muggle cars seemed a fine idea, since magic did not flow easily for him! He had intended leaving school; but now he planned to ask his sponsor, Sirius Black, if he might attempt this new HIVE!

The idea that more people might stay on at school for some kind of qualification was what had motivated David, who felt that the training on the job prevalent in the wizarding world was rather hit and miss. And he was pleased that it seemed to have stimulated such eager responses. NONE of the fifth in Hufflepuff House, next year's lower sixth, were at all academic, save perhaps Carol Best – who was going out, after all, with a Ravenclaw in the person of Cyprian Ogren – and David had half expected to lose the lot.

That this meant extra schoolfees helped too; though they would also go towards the hiring of tutors to come in to help with the special sixth training.

And David did intend to use his junior teachers of the core curriculum in teaching such subjects as they might within the vocational studies.

"Are people from that house – Ravenclaw – always rude about Hufflepuffs?" asked Petrus of Alexander.

Alexander shrugged.

"The other houses tease us generally a bit; but yes, Ravers fancy themselves as academic high flyers" he said "And often they come a cropper – er, are shown up" he added as Petrus looked puzzled "By doing something outrageously stupid through trying to be clever. Usually because Marauders jape them to make them look silly, IF they pick up the bait. I don't know much; but I did hear that some of them followed up a clue to find and decipher a book supposed to be written by Voldemort, which would have been dead risky if it really had been; only it wasn't it was Lilith Snape and friends. Professor Flitwick is said to have been extremely irritable over it" he added. "At the ones who got caught; not the japesters. And I don't think it's the first time."

"Is that what the head meant about people who were so sharp they might cut themselves?" asked Petrus.

"Yes I think so" said Alexander. "And the Ravers had a row last year because one of our oiks out-jinxed one of theirs and it caused no end of problems; and they actually had a split in their quidditch team over it. Our types just laid low" he added. "It's the best policy."

Petrus nodded; which, had Drogo been a party to that conversation would have convinced him that Petrus was born to be a Huffer.

oOoOo

Bella meanwhile was besieged by those girls who had not managed to talk to her on the train – and Bella had largely avoided talking on the train – with what seemed like an endless supply of silly and fatuous questions.

Most common was 'what's it like being married?' which was, as Bella said scathingly, a damned silly question.

"How would you like a muggle to ask 'what's it like doing magic?'" she said crossly "It isn't a question you can answer without some point of reference."

"Well do your best" said Miriam Moonshine.

Bella sighed.

"Well, it's a cross between being utterly aware that you are safe, and loved and protected and the best sex you've ever had in your life" she said.

"That's not much help; none of us have ever had sex" said Miriam Moonshine.

"Well that's too bad that you don't have the point of reference to understand" said Bella blandly.

"Did YOU have sex before you were married?" asked Miriam.

"Not with Assim" said Bella "And not to my recollection with anyone; but strictly speaking, in the life I don't remember yes; with Voldemort and with my first husband. I don't think it counts though. I, the person I am now, wouldn't pick to go within spitting distance of either of them."

"APART from the sex, what's the best thing?" asked Persephone Plunkett.

"His fluffy white tummy" said Bella firmly.

And not another word would any of them get out of her save a recommendation that if they were so interested in marriage they should get hitched and find out for themselves.

oOoOo

The other unwanted side effect was that Bella found herself suddenly regarded as an oracle on relationship problems; as Genevieve Harris said, Bella must have the secret to getting it right or she wouldn't have caught a live one and tied him firmly down.

"The trouble with YOU, Genevieve" said Bella sternly "Is that you made a prize ass of yourself flirting and carrying on and dangling half a dozen boys and more on strings; and so you have a reputation as a flirt and not to be taken seriously. If you have your eye on a particular boy you just so are going to have to work hard to convince him that you're not playing with him; and if I were you, I'd go for friendship first and see if anything grows out of it when he trusts you as a person."

"Oh THANK you Bella!" said Genevieve. Bella went and had a word with the Pepperingye Marauders who had so successfully broken up Genevieve's court the year before. They had implanted a subtle compulsion in her erstwhile swains to find her sexually unappetising.

"And if there's the chance of a real relationship between the dippy moo and one of the boys she's actually starting to see as a person not a plaything or prize, you need to keep an eye on it and reverse your compulsion" said Bella.

"Tobala and me will see if she'll talk in the dorm" said Charis. "And then we'll reverse it; I don't see it should be hard."

"The original document we embedded the compulsion in is in the Marauding Room pasted into the book of all wickedness" said Nathan "Easy to write a reverse compulsion and plant for just one boy; after all we're a whole year more sophisticated now and can do it without needing Lilith to tell us how to."

"Lilith certainly gets around" grinned Bella "Is she up to anything this year?"

"What apart from designing hieroglyphs to drive Achille Crouch-Villeneuve frantic with power lust? I don't actually think so" said Nathan "Our snaky little cousin was actually more shook up by being vanished than I think she cares to admit. Besides, she's planning on going in for the Triwizard next year so she's doing library work with that in mind."

Bella laughed.

"How like Lilith! Well, I should think any of your lot should be in with a shout."

"Lilith is going to confund the goblet to make her an extra so Nathan and Zakala and other contenders have a chance" said U-May. "Are you sorry you'll be too elderly?"

"No not really" said Bella, ignoring the aspersions on her age "I have a greater prize than any silly competition; my Assim."

"Now THAT" said U-may "Is how married people are supposed to feel. I'm still not going to call you mum, and nor is Purnima."

"So I should damn well hope; and if you try, I'll have you in detention" said Bella. U-may laughed and hugged her; she adored her adoptive father's wife, who had rescued her from a life of effective slavery.

oOoOo

Lilith was, indeed, thoroughly occupied with hieroglyphs; she had spoken to Lucius over the holidays as well as going to meet some of Darryl's French team of blooded; and was gleefully inventing wild clues to enable Achille to search for the successive keys to the nesting boxes in which the Book of Thoth was supposed to lie. She had enlisted the fertile and tortuous brain of Mafalda Prewett to come up with cryptic references; and Mafalda, though she had no desire to be a Marauder, was flattered to be asked to help in Marauder business. As Lilith said, you had to have a certain type of brain to set crossword puzzles and the like, at least the cryptic ones. And Lilith said that anyone who could come up with Mafalda's last offering to the Wizarding Times with a clue like 'a pain in the leg, less one hundred, for moving upward' had to be sick enough to be involved.

Lilith was the only one of her classmates to get 'Ramp' out of that and had explained impatiently that a pain in the leg was a cramp and C was one hundred in Roman numerals and you used a ramp to go up.

Mafalda considered Lilith one of her better test subjects for clues because the little girl was widely enough read to pick up literary references, and to have a wide enough vocabulary to work out awful puns too.

Even Mafalda drew the line at doing crosswords in hieroglyphs when Lilith suggested it as a great way to revise ancient runes. The rest of her cronies protested hard enough that Lilith had to spend half an hour looking for her eyebrows and ears to re-attach.

oOoOo

It may be said that U-may, Purnima, Jayashree and Hasibul decided to celebrate Assim and Bella's wedding by putting on an impromptu Bollywood-style blockbuster for the rest of the school with Indian music and dancing and flashy sword play from Hasibul. They involved Mohini too and entertained – and occasionally mystified – the rest of the school with their colourful antics. Hasibul insisted that the lights be dimmed when he, the prince, was due to kiss Purnima, the princess, because he wasn't going to kiss any dippy girl even his adoptive cousin, indeed especially his adoptive cousin.

The prince fled the stage pursed by the princess demonstrating her own flashy sword play; which was NOT in the script.

The audience enjoyed it anyway.

oOoOo

"Are they actually insane at all?" Petrus asked Alexander.

"Not more than any Marauders are" said Alexander. "You had Marauders at your old school, didn't you?"

"Yes I did" said Petrus "They – I think they are supposed to interfere to help people out but they could be a bit pushy" he tried to be fair; he had learned a lot about Marauders.

"Oh some of them are more tactful than others I guess" said Alexander "But my cousins Martha and Sapphira reckon them to be the works; very good for the school" he added a translation. It was very awkward that foreigners had trouble with slang!

Petrus was working on understanding the slang; he wanted to fit in with these Hufflepuff boys who were decent to him and with whom he actually felt fairly comfortable. He did NOT look forward to having to knuckle down to work hard, but Mr Malfoy had explained to him very kindly that hard work helped to deal with bad memories and that he was sure the boy would make him proud to be his sponsor. When you had an important sponsor like Mr Malfoy it did not do to muck him about by NOT working.

And when he started lessons he found that the grounding he had received in Schloss Adler had prepared him well enough; he had to work hard to keep up, but at least there was no catching up to do.

In a class of workaholics who were so overjoyed to have the opportunity to have any education there was a tendency to rush further ahead than in a school where those who attended had done so by right for generations. And Petrus was overjoyed to actually find himself – after extensive tests in some of the classes – in the A stream in Transfigurations and Defence against the Dark Arts and given provisional A-stream status in Charms and Potions.

"It's not a disgrace if you find it too hard to be moved into the B-stream" explained Professor Flitwick "Because it just means you need extra remedial help. But if you can keep up with the A-stream we shall all be very pleased with you."

Petrus was overjoyed.

He could write something really positive to both Mr Malfoy AND his sister!

oOoOo

Petrus was delighted to get warm letters from both Mr Malfoy and from Biirta; Biirta told him how pleased she was that he found himself so well able to keep up and more important in many ways amongst a group of convivial friends, where he need not feel oppressed by having his big sister being the head girl. She wrote that a big school was said to be very jolly and hoped that he was enjoying the opportunity to practice quidditch skills, if the weather was any good.

Since most of the quidditch teams practised on the beach in New Zealand, Petrus was getting in plenty of quidditch and was delighted to find himself popular for his skill! He actually resolved to put in time to practice and become really good – the first time in his life when he had felt it worth putting effort into anything!

And as it was made quite clear that reasonable grades were required not to incur detentions during quidditch practice, Petrus had an incentive beyond pleasing Mr Malfoy to work hard!

It may be said that New Zealand fascinated him, and he looked in awe upon the Stripy Marauders who had opened the gate while they were still juniors hardly any older than himself; and was much impressed.

He was also keen to learn to swim when he found out that there were oysters with pearls in; and his days were packed and happy.

True he was gently teased about his accent; but none of his year in his house were in any wise unkind about it; and Agatha Montague, of Slytherin, who tried to make an issue of a German boy in the class spent an uncomfortable half an hour involuntarily twitching her hand into and out of a Nazi salute, courtesy of the incipient Hunting Marauders who believed on sitting on bullies before they got thoroughly going.

Besides, as Drogo said, he might consider Petrus to be a bit of a tick, but he was a tick who was kind of under his protection.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

David Fraser raised an eyebrow to find Lilith Snape in his office, cross legged on the floor, embellishing the sorting hat.

Lilith scrambled to her feet to give him the obligatory curtsey.

"I ASKED first" she said "And he said he would be delighted to be refurbished and in the colours of all the houses. I'm adding the green and red of Rowan House as well as black and primrose for Hufflepuff, green and silver grey for Slytherin, red and golden yellow for Gryffindor and I managed to find a piece of satin that's magenta shot with blue for Ravenclaw for that not-blue and not-purple they have and I'm using tan instead of copper."

She came up for air.

"Very enterprising" said David, not quite sure what else to say. Lilith beamed at him.

"Has it ever struck you sir, that Hufflepuff is the only house not to have a metal as one of its colours?" she asked "Even if the colours for Ravenclaw clash rather horridly they still picked a metal…. It's almost insulting."

David smiled.

"A true Hufflepuff knows they have solid worth without needing the conceit of a metal in their colours" he said.

Lilith digested that thoughtfully.

"I suppose that ought to make Huffers better people than the rest of us; but I fear there are too many silly Huffers to actually recognise that a true Hufflepuff ought to feel like that. But of course most houses have prats that don't live up to the ideals of their house."

"Quite so, Lilith" said David. "And perhaps there are subtle reminders in such simple things as house colours."

One had to think on the feet with Lilith.

The sorting hat was certainly starting to look less decrepit with the addition of brightly coloured patches that Lilith had just finished tacking on.

"Had you thought through the implications to the magic?" asked David.

Lilith beamed.

"Oh yes!" she said "And Hat and I made up a song to sing as I sew them on – I shall herringbone of course – so that the patches become irrevocably part of the hat and a part of the magic."

David nodded. He might have expected Lilith to have it all well in hand; she was a very thorough little girl. And being reared by Krait with input from Jade that was really scarcely surprising.

oOoOo

While Lilith was engaged with the hat, she had firmly instructed the Stripy Marauders to join forces with the Pepperingye Marauders who, being banned by custom at their geriatric age as fifth formers from pranks, had time on their hands to do something useful.

"Did we WANT to do something useful, with Nathan's crowd or otherwise, Halfpint?" asked Sextus.

"Of course you do" said Lilith firmly. "It's about secret passages. There's one that starts on the fourth floor behind a mirror."

"I know; it's caved in" said Sextus.

"Well yes; and that's what you're going to do that's useful" said Lilith "Start unblocking it. I will be helping but as I have a job to do I thought you lot might like something to do to keep you out of trouble."

"Did we ever establish whether she gets her bossiness from her dad or her mum?" asked Kazrael.

"Both; she has it in double dose" grinned Gennar.

It may be said that Nathan, U-may, Isambard, Charis, Tobala, Jingjie and Wanda were rather pleased to have a marauding task that they might legitimately occupy themselves with in leisure periods; and Isembard pointed out with more casuistry than accuracy that the enchantments required to shore up the roof and remove debris would be good revision for their charms and enchantment classes too.

As most of the spells they were using came into the province of NEWT level this was not strictly accurate but his fellows accepted that suggestion with enthusiasm.

oOoOo

The excavations proceeded with due caution – the reason Lilith had suggested that Sextus, Kazrael, Venus, Jayashree and Gennar should join with their less giddy elders – and Lilith was able to join in the activities of the combined marauders when she had finished her sewing. Lilith was a fast and neat needlewoman and had soon completed all the seams to join the ten patchwork pieces with which she had covered the Hat. She had cut a brim shape for the underside of the brim in a plain dark grey, for the generic uniform, and had turned it under, neatly whipstitching it to the underside of the hat itself and ladder stitching to the gay upper layer of the brim. And if it were grey, she informed David, then the person wearing the hat would not be influenced by any of the house colours catching their eye.

David laughed and said that so long as the Sorting Hat approved that was the main thing.

And so Lilith joined the expedition while they were busy turning fallen blocks of stone carefully to dust and vanishing the dust piles.

"Trust you to join us when we're almost through and avoid the hard work" laughed Nathan.

Isambard collected Nathan's ears before they fluttered too far and Charis handed him back his eyebrows.

Nathan grinned. Lilith almost HAD to jinx him for a calumny like that; but he had been unable to resist it. And Lilith put her back into helping; and it had to be admitted that her skill in turning stone to dust and vanishing as it flowed out of a block was a pretty thing to watch. Especially as Lilith was also capable of stopping in mid transfiguration and making a stone flow up into a place where it would hold the roof and meld to the stonework next to it.

It was less satisfying that Lilith insisted that all loose blocks of stone were either consigned to places in the ceiling or vanished before she would permit anyone to go on, even though it was simple enough to get through.

"Right is right" said Lilith; and in the face of that firmly asseverated Snapish aphorism the others had to be content.

oOoOo

After a rather long section that needed clearing the remainder of the passageway was disappointingly short, turning sharply to the left, going up three steps and ending at a door similar to the inside of the one they had entered the passage by. Lilith ceded the honour of opening it to the Pepperingye Marauders, who were eager enough to take it, pausing only to jinx Jayashree for making the sepulchral comment that the elders ought to open it in case it came out anywhere scary like a basilisk lair, a room full of three-headed dogs or worse, Madam McGonagall's bedroom.

They were not prepared to find a room that appeared to be entirely unoccupied with the dust and cobwebs of ages; and the clear signs of battle with cracked and blackened stonework.

"And about time too!" said the portrait through which they had entered. Dust fell from the ceiling at the shrill voice. Lilith pointed her wand at the ceiling and muttered the revellaspell.

"Back in the passage people" she said crisply, adding to the portrait " Sorry ma'am; this is unstable. And if you ask me, and judging by what little I saw out of the window, this is that part of the castle that's locked up securely above the Hufflepuff common room" she went on as they withdrew hastily, stifling sneezes.

"And it's obviously locked up BECAUSE it's unstable…. I say, this is a case for the Headmaster" said Nathan.

"Yes I'm afraid it is" said Lilith. "Though I doubt he knows why it's locked off any more than anyone else does; I think before we trouble Fido we should go and pester Albus. The goblin passages have a way to his cottage."

"So they do!" said Nathan "And he'll be dead chuffed to get to poke his nose into school mysteries."

They placed a strong repelling ward on the secret passage so that innocent and less skilful passage-hunters did not accidentally find the unstable rooms in the meantime and, as Isambard put it, accidentally explode the castle a little bit for having sneezed at the dust.

oOoOo

Albus Dumbledore cheerfully entertained thirteen unexpected marauders to tea. Jayashree borrowed Phyllis to cuddle and Lilith claimed Percival who chuckled fatly at her.

They told their story.

Not for nothing had Albus Dumbledore been headmaster at Hogwarts for more than fifty years before he retired; he even followed the whole tale.

And he shook his head in disappointment.

"And I fear I can add nothing to the sum total of your knowledge" he said. "Well only a little; when I was at school the doors were locked against intrusion, and with wards strong enough that the normal unlocking spell _alohamora_ is useless and further methods bring a modicum of danger."

"You mean the door handles bite" said Sextus. "We tried THAT in our first year, sir."

Albus was startled.

"You had the intrusion spell to your credit so young?" he asked.

"Library work" said Lilith. "Having found locked doors that wouldn't yield to the normal methods, not even a goblin-made lockpick."

"Well perhaps it is as well that the originators of those wards were so thorough" said Albus "I've seen the rooms from the same angle as you; when I was still teaching transfigurations…... I had every good reason to suppose that Tom Riddle was poking around looking for secrets in the castle and did my best to find all the ones I could to forestall him. It was when I taught myself Parseltongue, in the thoughts that some passages hidden by Salazar Slytherin might be accessed by his descendant… but as far as I know, the only descendant to do so, Lilith my dear, was you. However, to return to the point! I found the passage behind the mirror; discovered the extent of the damage to those rooms – and I only strayed out of the first into the second – I beg your pardon?"

"Sorry sir" said Nathan "Just a sound of alarm that you risked crossing that rather dodgy first one."

"I'm a Gryffindor" said Albus.

"So are some of us" said Charis, indicating Tobala and Venus "But we wouldn't have risked it especially after Lilith cast the revellaspell."

"We're girls" said Tobala "More prudence than boys."

Dumbledore grinned boyishly.

"Evidently" he said. "Anyway, I beat a hasty retreat; and on due consideration I brought down the ceiling of the secret passage to prevent anyone LESS prudent from causing damage. The place had been locked up for a good reason after all; and I considered it careless that the passage was left for anyone to circumvent all those wards."

"Oh well, we shall have to ask Fido if we can't talk to the portraits" said Kazrael. "Besides it sends Phineas Nigellus apoplectic to have to talk to goblins; it's hilarious."

Albus started to chortle and hastily changed it to a cough. Lilith gave him a jaundiced look.

"Nasty cough sir" she said "I'm sure I could duplicate dad's cough brew."

"Yes, I'm afraid you probably could" said Albus "I claim it a biscuit cough" he added firmly.

Lilith grinned at him; and as it reminded them all that there were some biscuits left they rectified this matter and went back to school with impatient curiosity.

oOoOo

David unravelled the excited tale and turned to the portraits.

"And can any former heads give us any idea to explain the state of the locked rooms?" he asked.

"Preposterous! Iniquitous! Poking their noses in where they were forbidden to go!" declared Phineas Nigellus.

"A habit which gave Marauders an edge fighting Voldemort if you recall" said David dryly.

"Oh please don't shut him up sir; he's so cute when he throws a hissy fit!" said Kazrael.

This was enough to drive Phineas Nigellus into complete huffy silence.

"According to what I've heard he was no angel at school" said the portrait of Dilys Derwent. "I've chatted with Quentin Trimble since he passed over and he reckons that Black used the unlocking charm with a very ingenious twist to pass the wards into the girls' dormitories."

"Well one learns something every day" said David.

"It's not exactly hard though" said Sextus "If one wants to chat to one of the girls. Most of us figured out how to pass the wards in Slytherin House almost as soon as we figured out how to break in….. shutting up."

"Digging yourself a hole old man" said Jingjie "Getting over the glissand spell in Ravenclaw and Gryffindor Towers is a little more challenging. Did you know about the reason for the closed rooms ma'am?"

"Yes indeed I do" said Dilys Derwent "It was very painful; a faction war broke out in my last few years as headmistress. It was why I resigned; I felt that if war and strife could not be kept out of a school a Healer had no business to be in charge. I see that nothing changed" she sighed.

"But generally WE have managed to keep OUR adversaries outside, ma'am" said David "Which proves that we've learned from previous lessons."

"Even though we don't know this particular one" said Gennar. He was poked by various people. Portraits could be huffy; and baiting Phineas Nigellus was one thing, but irritating a source of information was another.

Dilys Derwent went on,

"It was in the period leading up to the statute of secrecy – whilst that did not come about until 1792 debate had been raging for at least half a century beforehand about its necessity. Especially after Tarqin Malfoy went out of his way to annoy the then muggle prime minister Oliver Cromwell coming as close to muggle baiting as it was possible; I heard that when Cromwell died – that would have been 1658 the autumn after he left school – he arranged all the most outrageous female ghosts he could muster to dance at the fellow's death bed. And though we had some respite with the Restoration and less religious fanaticism it was painfully obvious that we had to consider hiding from muggles. And a bunch of fanatics who wanted to enslave muggles decided to hold the castle to ransom and battered their way in and took up residence in those rooms. The elves managed to get a message out to Aurors; and the battle was terrible. I had to co-ordinate the elves to apport all the children they were holding hostage out at the moment the aurors came to attack; and the rebels sold their lives dearly, causing damage to the very fabric of the magic of the castle itself. I chose to lock up the section of the castle and ward it because the ritual required to repair the damage was too much; and there were other near civil wars going on" she sighed "As if it wasn't enough to have dangers from the fauna and flora of our world, and from muggles, to go to war over something that should be debated rationally is so WRONG!"

"These humans are crazy" quoted Lilith quietly to her set. They all recognised the Asterix reference.

"Well then I guess the thing to do is for all the marauders in school to undertake the ritual to repair the rooms" said Nathan. "We'll have to go in two or three of us, the best ritual practitioners; that's Mimi, Lilith and Sec and me I think – and the rest chant as we're told."

"Splendid idea!" said David "With the school expanding again having a few more rooms available would be most useful. Take care when you do your checking; if in doubt apparate out."

"Yes sir" said Lilith nodding soberly. "THIS is another thing marauders are for; putting stuff right. Please, Madam Derwent, are we likely to find any bodies?"

"No child! No worries about that!" said Dilys Derwent "The bodies were all cleared away after the battle; to identify in order to keep an eye on their families if nothing else so far as the rebels were concerned; and in reverence by their comrades in the case of the aurors. Surely you children have not mustered the power to undertake so powerful a ritual?"

"Oh it shouldn't be hard" said Lilith "Probably about a four hour chant; the hard bit will be holding up that part of the castle with sheer will power while we insert magical props."

David nodded.

"And there are plenty of adults to call on too" he said "And I think it should include ex-marauders and marauding supporters."

Lilith nodded. There was no point in false pride; this was for the good of the school and who was involved was immaterial provided they could do their allotted task.

The abandoned rooms had an eeriness to them; and the surveying group were alert for sounds of creaking. Lilith greeted the portrait quietly and added,

"We need to whisper so as not to bring the roof in; I'm sorry you got left alone so long. Can't you visit the other portraits?"

"I'faith, not past the wards yonder wench Dilys put up!" grumped the witch.

"What was wrong with the secret passage and passing via the mirror?" asked Sextus. The portrait – an Elizabethan lady – scowled at him.

"Youth, hast any concept of the discomfort caused when passing through a mirror? The reversal! The indignity! I must swoon to even think of it!"

"Sorry ma'am I didn't know you were so sickly and feeble" said Sextus.

"FEEBLE? **FEEBLE?**" her voice started to rise.

There was the crash of a falling piece of masonry.

"NOW look what you've done just because you can't resist snide!" said Lilith in exasperation "Madam, I prithee shut up or verily I shall swipe out thy face with turpentine."

"Love the linguistic mix" said Sextus.

Nathan took off his sweater and threw it over the portrait where it dangled over the top half of her body. Her vituperations were at least now muffled.

They left her to it and explored, quietly. The rooms appeared to have been largely classrooms and a common room; there was a flight of stairs too which they decided were better using levitation to traverse than feet. Upstairs were bedrooms. All the décor was in faded midnight blue and bronze.

"The original Ravenclaw rooms" said Mimi. "And there's a doorway with the mark of where hinges used to be right before the locked doors of the warded bit; I reckon the door with the daft knocker was taken from there."

"DO you mind not insulting the House ward of my house?" said Sextus.

Mimi shrugged.

"Well every time our lot has broken into Ravenclaw Tower it's asked such childishly simple questions getting through was a cinch" she said.

"Because you are clever enough for Ravenclaw just awkward enough for Slytherin" said Sextus. "These rooms would be nice for Ravers; wide windows and plenty of pure north light for the artists. I say, what a great room complex for arts and crafts."

"Let's get them fixed first" said Lilith "Yes, bedrooms up here…. I suppose they just took over a school house. What cheek! I can't see Slytherin kids lying down for it….nor Gryffs."

"Well that was why they took the intellectuals, obviously" said Sextus "The ones with the imagination to be scared into good behaviour with vague threats and without the inherently vicious tendency you snaky types have."

Lilith decided to let that one go; Ravenclaw WAS his house after all and he was outnumbered. They took a full magical survey and made notes of measurements and returned quietly, Nathan retrieving his sweater from the Elizabethan lady as they went out.

oOoOo

"Piece of cake" Lilith reported back to David. She then became technical, with input from the rest; and David listened, nodding from time to time.

"I'll find out when it happened from Dilys" he said "To help us make a best time calculation to sort it out."

Lilith nodded; that WOULD help!

They found a passing mention in 'Hogwarts – a History' that mentioned only that Madam Derwent had resigned after Aurors had needed to deal with dissident members of society who caused something of a disturbance. Almost as a separate entry ran the comment that Ravenclaw house was moved to occupy the tower above their original quarters, and mentioned that Rowena Ravenclaw herself had maintained rooms in that tower which had housed Ravenclaw-educated members of staff hitherto. They wrote out the expanded version and stuck it into the school version with masking tape.

oOoOo

Madam Derwent fortunately remembered dates; and it turned out that the anniversary of the event would be in some three weeks time. The Marauders brightened and went to work with a will on the designing of a chant. Some would hover on brooms outside where the windows were – once they had taken down Madam Derwent's powerful disillusionment charms to hide the windows from outside.

She had not wanted intrepid students getting in that way!

oOoOo

The efforts of the Marauders were a trifle interrupted in the need to lend support to blood kindred in both Prince Peak and Durmstrang; apparently, as David found out, there was a group of Russians calling themselves the Sons of Zirnitra who wanted to punish both schools for having outperformed pure blood Russian youths in a duelling contest; where the team from Prince Peak had included goblin and elf members and the Durmstrang team had condoned this iniquity – As Severus put it laconically in answer to David's quick query. Prince Peak's needs were brief and intense with a large and spectacular battle and David grinned at the image he conjured in his own mind's eye of Severus likely up on the walls chanting like Merlin in the film 'Excalibur' or Saruman in 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. Durmstrang had a more sustained but lower key effort ridding themselves of supremacists, their marauders striking from cover rather after the fashion of Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood in 'Where Eagles Dare.'

oOoOo

The Pepperingye Marauders also had the task of finding out the object of desire who so won Genevieve Harris' heart so that they could uncurse him – if necessary – from the subtle revulsion curse. Detective work by Tobala and Charis uncovered however that Genevieve had her eye on a boy in the year above her; which meant that he had never been one of her original court. A few eyebrows were raised that she had fixated on Cassius Prince – which if it came to anything would make her an in-law of Severus Snape – but there was no denying that Cassius was a bit of a hop out o' kin being content to be an average student in Hufflepuff house.

"And actually she's picked one of the most decent boys there is" said Charis.

"What about us?" said Isambard.

"I shouldn't describe any of you oiks as 'Decent'" said Charis "You're not really supposed to be; it's a rare person who can do Marauding and the usual concept of decent."

"Boring you mean" said Nathan.

"N…no" said Charis "And,,,,,yes. Cassius isn't going to set the world alight; but he's someone who'll stand by a friend through thick and thin and isn't going to let anyone budge him in his loyalties. Genevieve's a bit flighty – should have been a Ravenclaw really, because she IS musical; and she wants a career as a performer. And someone as solidly decent and loyal as Cassius would be a perfect prop to someone who's going after that sort of emotionally strung out job. He may not be a great potioneer but he's good enough to earn a sufficiency brewing potions for sale to keep them going between famous performances… and he's shrewd enough to see any crap. I vote we promote the match."

"I vote we don't oppose the match" said Nathan. "I'm not about to play cupid thank you!"

Charis giggled.

"You'd look silly with little wings and dressed in a hanky with a little gold bow" she said.

Nathan transfigured her to have little wings so she transfigured him back and the whole of the Pepperingye Marauders decided to take on the forms of cupids – except U-may who became a flying snake because it was more dignified – and fire random rubber-tipped arrows at the sixth just for kicks and giggles and because Valentine's day was coming up.

The Sixth sighed and threatened them with being made into putty putti if they did not back off.

That assimilative correlation was alarming enough to make them do so.

"Besides it's not really in accordance with our dignity as fifth formers" said Jingjie. "It was funny though."

"You know it'll be confusing for any kids" said Wanda.

"What, having Genevieve as a mother?" said Tobala "I'll say."

"No you prune" said Wanda "Having two Uncle Olivers."

"That should be Uncles Oliver" said Jingjie.

"When I want a pedant I'll ask for one" said Wanda. "As I was saying before I was so evilly pedanted, there's Oliver Harris, Genevieve's brother, and Oliver Prince in Gryffindor in the same year as Cassius as his half brother."

"Well they'll have to call them Uncle Broom and Uncle Stirrer" said Nathan "And it's none of our business."

"True" said Charis. "Well apart from actually mentioning in Cassius' hearing that Genevieve admires him; he won't make the first move and being so thoroughly done over by us, I'm not sure she will either. It had a really chastening effect on her; she's so much nicer now she's trying to be friendly with girls not just trying to attract boys."

"Well she's your dorm mate; I wash my hands of it" said Nathan. "I really do NOT do love's sweet dream stuff."

oOoOo

It may be said that Charis decided to have a frank talk with Cassius because he was the sort of boy who actually responded better to the up-front approach. He listened to the tale of how Genevieve admired him but had been er, rather subdued when her court had er, abandoned her.

"You Marauders dropped some compulsion on them you mean because she was in danger of getting a bad reputation" he said.

"We promised the head not to talk about it" said Charis who felt that as he had guessed going that far would not harm. Cassius shrugged.

"Fair enough" he said "My brother said Gryffindor House was in a bit of a stink about her er court; and she admires me you say? Did she ask you to come to talk to me?"

"Not in the least" said Charis cheerfully "I'm butting in of my own accord because I think she's become a decent sort and so are you and she really does NOT want to get involved with any unstable type like a Raver in the mistaken belief that another musician would fuel her muse. It's a mistake, except in exceptional circumstances; and all you Prince types are musical enough without needing to be musicians. You'd appreciate her without feeling that you were in competition with each other."

Cassius considered.

"Well there's a lot of sense in that" he said "Look I don't really know her – I mean, I think she's pretty, and she's a fine performer but I've never talked to her – but I'll invite her to the Valentine's do we of the Sixth are running and see how it goes from there as I don't actually have a girlfriend. Fair enough?"

"More than; thanks" said Charis. She had found a sensitivity in Genevieve that was attractive below the girl's rather flamboyant exterior.

oOoOo

The sixth ran the Valentine's party on the beach in New Zealand again; as Bella said it was a waste not to do so. This year the challenge was to dress as characters from the Classics and there would be chocolate hearts for the best costumes so long as none of them were putti. After the antics of the Pepperingye Marauders, Cupid was banned.

U-may elected to be Echidna with a partial transfiguration to be snake from the waist down – a tricky business – with Nathan as Heracles and Charis, Isambard and Jingjie as their three children and Wanda and Tobala as attendant sea nymphs. Bella declared it cheating to use transfiguration but gave them marks for cheek.

There were a selection of gods and goddesses and nymphs and those boys who did come in costume mostly spent time poring over classical dictionaries to find someone who would have worn trousers so there were a preponderance of Goths, Vandals, Gauls and one ancient Briton – Ian Malfoy – with plaid trousers, a moustache manufactured from the hair combed from the blast-ended Pekes and painted in woad. Or rather Prussian Blue from a borrowed paintbox.

Sextus declared that HE had the legs and the cast iron ones to come in a short skirt and turned up as Leonidas the Spartan and the rest of the Stripy Marauders came as representatives of the three hundred. They made helmets out of cardboard and asked nicely for horsehair to apply as crests. And as they asked nicely, Arkott obliged them rather than pursuing them with a horsewhip as he did to Edward Kettleburn who tried to acquire some horsehair WITHOUT asking as a moustache for his Gaulish chieftan.

As the Stripy Marauders were all well versed in ancient runes they chanted Spartan war cries in ancient Greek and were booed for excessive over-acting by their fellow fourth years. Sextus gave them a pithy and sarcastic speech that Lilith declared was worthy of Leonidas himself if only the poor prunes he had aimed it at had been able to speak a civilised language.

The Belle Marauders had to step in here and declare that if people in the fourth weren't old enough to behave themselves in a civilised manner in front of juniors it was obviously past their bedtime; so Sextus bowed and made an apology – also in Ancient Greek – which Mimi had to translate since Bella had conveniently forgotten most of any Greek she had learned. It prevented, as Maud said, the collective fourth being jinxed into a ball since no forty odd kids were a match for their six contemporaries.

Minerva McGonagall murmured to David

"He's aye as awkward as wee Severus but losh! I cannae ken whether I'm glad or otherwise that the wee sumpf has learned tae be outgoing under wee Lilith's loving care."

"If you ask me he's a sight happier for it" said David "So I for one am glad. Little horrors! I swear the fourth get worse every year!"

"David, ye'll have the rrright tae say THAT when ye've been observing fourth years as long as I have" said Minerva. "Though I'll no' say that ye're wrong at that" she added.

"Were WE ever that bad?" demanded Lynx.

"You never had Lilith Snape to Snapify you" said Hawke "Mind you I DO recall a certain were-knarl….."

Lynx dissolved into helpless giggles and had to be rescued by her husband from the hiccups.

The party was voted a universal success outside of the shenanigans of the fourth with barbequed food and the obligatory heart shaped burgers.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

The destruction of the stonework during the running battle back in 1767 had taken just under forty minutes; and Lilith declared it would take three times as long to fix as it had taken to break; and the other arithmancers of the Marauders concurred with this assessment. David worked it through for his own satisfaction and discovered that as usual Lilith knew what she was talking about. Two hours was a reasonable time to chant; and the Weird Marauders and the blooded supporters in the second were also invited in on it; and after due consideration the aspirant Hunting Marauders of the first, who may not all be blooded but might as well see some of the things Marauders did when not japing people.

Richard was terribly proud of his sister and he and his group felt much honoured to be permitted to be involved in serious Marauder business even if it was NOT terribly dangerous.

"Though you kids watch out" said Lilith "There was enough hate in that battle that the damage is almost like cursed wounds on the rock because the castle comes close to being a living entity; and some cursed wounds fight back. I don't say that you WOULD get rocks hurled at you, but nor do I say that you won't."

David marvelled again at the depth of Lilith's understanding of the nature of magic when emotion was involved; what she said made sense when applied to magical theory though it had not occurred to him. The castle was not really living; but there were aspects of it, being built as it was by magic forged through the bonds of friendship that sometimes responded in an almost self-aware way. Even as the doors could be taught to recognise and exclude anyone. No pile of stones had the right to be heuristic in the normal scheme of things; but this pile of stones resonated with four very individualistic personalities and with their unlikely yet strong combination.

Hence when the group took their positions, as close to circling the region of damage as they could, with the Hufflepuffs among them in their common room below and Nathan and Gennar above on brooms, they were prepared for some resistance.

They were not prepared for the very rocks to wail with grief and pain. Lilith signalled to the others to keep chanting and raised her own pure silver voice in a wordless song of soothing and pain relief, flying round and round the building, in and out of windows. Had she been on a broom it would have been less remarkable; but Lilith had forgotten a broom in her need to ease the building's distress.

And then to David's consternation she dodged in a window right into the heart of the damaged part; and her voice was muffled by thicknesses of stone, but still singing a song that was both soothing and yet gently, but sternly, commanding. He could only assume she knew what she was doing.

And to think, when he was one of those fighting Voldemort, he wondered why Minerva was always getting so frazzled.

Lilith emerged again and merged her voice with the others on the general chant, giving her friends the 'thumbs up' to show that she was fine and so was everything else.

David made a silent vow to make sure he had retired before Lilith and Sextus had children old enough to come to Hogwarts; which Heaven help him would probably be in less than two decades. Lilith and Sextus were each of them frighteningly intelligent; though nature prefers averages. He reminded himself that Frederick the Great had wanted a personal guard of gigantic men and had mustered tall men and women and had been disappointed that their children tended to be tall, but often not even as tall as their parents. Generations might make a difference, but the children of these two would probably be lucky enough to be no more than ordinary genius level kids, like Hermione or Krait.

And partly the reason they shone was that they were an inspiration to each other; as Krait and Severus were. Without Krait, David doubted that Severus would be any more than the world's pre-eminent potioneer with a good line in chanting. With Krait, David honestly believed that Severus rivalled Merlin in ability.

oOoOo

The chant finally wore down; and Lilith changed the nature of it. Those who were bonded to her went along with her in a slightly startled sort of way; then Sextus asked as she finished with an imperious little gesture,

"What was that about, Halfpint?"

"Well we shall want to get in, shan't we?" said Lilith practically "I took off Dilys Derwent's wards, obviously."

"Oh obviously" drawled Sextus. "Do take everything onto yourself and don't leave any fun for the Headmaster."

"Fido doesn't care so long as the job gets jobbed" said Lilith "Do you Fido?"

"No Lilith; though I do wish, just occasionally, that you would let me know your intent in advance" said David.

Lilith beamed at him.

"I didn't think of it until we'd nearly finished the main chant; I'm not infallible you know! So I figured if we just went straight on while the stones were still a bit in shock we might find it easier. I should have thought of it beforehand; I'm sorry."

David laughed and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

She giggled at him.

"Lilith, I'd rather have you on an inefficient day than nine out of ten adults being at the peak of their efficiency" said David. "Now go and bath; you're covered in powdered rock and lime mortar."

Lilith ran off happily to bathe; changed her mind and picked up her swimming kit and all of her friends to swim in New Zealand instead.

oOoOo

David inspected the new wing, as one might well call it. Sextus had suggested it as a fine set of rooms to use as studios; and David concurred. There could be a whole suite of studios; and indeed the metalwork could be moved up here as well. It had only been consigned to the dungeon because of needing a large room with facilities to smelt. Protection from intense heat might be equally well managed magically after all; and the big north windows as much of use to those crafting jewellery and fine clockwork as to the artists. And it would not take much to enchant shutters to produce a strong, non directional light to mimic daylight for winter and evening work. One of the classrooms away from the rooms with big windows might have large lockers for the storage of student work; and another might be used for theory lectures. The dormitories might be readily converted to staff suites to accommodate the extra staff who were being hired on for both the extra lessons and the junior teachers for the core subjects.

And at that the other spare rooms might be given over to the use of the Special Sixth, who would require room for their own specialist studies and a place to relax without necessarily wanting to be in with the other seniors. Yes, that would all work out very nicely; an extra three floors of rooms did not come amiss. He considered. If this was largely the province of the special sixth, the metalworking and art studios might disturb them…. But not if they were the rooms nearest to the secret passage and it was opened up just as a corridor to those classrooms. An art studio was not necessary yet for more than a very few; though Kevin Slugworthy would enjoy using it. It might be made available, for now, for hobby art and for those making working drawings for metalwork; and needed to be signed into and out of like the library. And Kevin should be Art Room prefect. And then the special sixth could come easily to do metalwork – and making parts for muggle cars could take place in the same room – or art or needlework in such an art and craft complex but it would be out of bounds for others to go beyond workrooms into the province of the Special Sixth. Really the explorations of the Stripy and Pepperingye Marauders were quite providential!

And of course the new subsidiary professors would be teaching some classes to the special sixth so housing them in here was also logical.

It did occur that as many of the special Sixth would probably be Hufflepuffs that it would be nice for them to be right above their old common room and close by to drop in and visit. He had debated making the special sixth houseless; but that meant that they would lose ties with friends in the standard sixth and would be unable to represent their house at sports. David had decided that if any of the special sixth had become prefects in the fifth they should keep their prefect status – unless they asked to have it withdrawn because the extra duties were too onerous – but he would not draw new prefects from the special sixth nor – unless he had no choice – a house head. They would have enough on their plates; for they would either be concentrating on serious study, a musician say; or undertaking work that was at the limit of their ability, if they were drawn from those who might have otherwise dropped out. Such would not be able in either case to give as much to the school as a prefect should; but he could not, in conscience, withdraw an already accorded honour.

oOoOo

Kevin had taken Art to OWL partly as a lark but he had realised from the exam how much he did NOT know and had been seriously studying with muggle books on drawing as well as the book on art in magic that had now come into the shops, co-written by Erica Malfoy, her mother and a Randolph Wright of whom Erica had spoken. Kevin was very good at charms and was good at making friends and managed transfigurations well enough to have taken 'E' at OWL and was otherwise, as he himself admitted cheerfully, really very unremarkable. Which was why he had elected to take three NEWTs and take Art as one of them. He would have to be his own tutor as David had made clear to him; but Kevin was not bothered. Erica had promised to write to him and give him assignments to complete in line with the syllabus she had worked out. Kevin knew he would never be in Erica's league; but he did harbour some ambitions to teach at least to OWL or as a subject for Special Sixth now that had been mooted, for those artistic children whose parents did not want to send them as far as Austria. Kevin privately thought that if you were prepared to send your child to boarding school, even if you were a muggle who did not have the floo or apportation available, then it mattered little whether your child was in Scotland, Austria or Timbuctoo.

Kevin had very little idea where Timbuctoo might be except that it sounded exotic; but it was the principle of the thing. And besides, half the kids in Scotland were in New Zealand half the time.

When David told him about the studio and his promotion to Art Prefect he flushed in pleasure and blurted out his thoughts.

David listened gravely.

"I'm going to make a suggestion and a proposal" he said. "Coming back to teach where you have just left school is hard. So I am going to suggest that you take a post for a few years in Durmstrang – no I haven't run mad" he said as Kevin's mouth dropped open. "I've had a few discussions with Agata Bacsó; she has a set of keen third years studying art on their own time; you would be able to give them a year's intensive study when you leave school before they sit the OWL. They are particularly keen on pattern magic – your field – though they've been mixing and matching ancient runes into their patterns. I thought you might like to work alongside Lilith Snape and give her some art pointers while she brings you up to speed on ancient runes and German and to prepare you for this bunch of imps – they're Marauders."

"Oh, enough said" grinned Kevin "Work like stink, little perishers, most of their library work comes out in a not always welcome surprise."

"That sums up juvenile marauders fairly well" said David. "Well I'm glad you're not too daunted."

"Actually sir, I'm LESS daunted to teach Marauders" said Kevin honestly "You know where you are with Marauders. And if that's sometimes lost for words, well they can usually talk the hind leg off a donkey to make up for it."

David grinned. Kevin's insouciant manner would go down well with the Musical Marauders. And they would appreciate him leading their studies; which would be what he would be doing more than teaching as such.

Kevin was flattered that he had been already mentioned to Madam Bacsó; none of his family had ever been a Professor. Actually none of his family had ever taken more than two NEWTs before; and the only reason he had not added Potions to the list was because his father had told him that he should not overreach himself. Kevin was a methodical rather than brilliant potioneer but he had achieved the 'E' grade which was all that Madam Hardbroom required and had considered it. Still, he could maybe study it alongside teaching a relatively small class at Durmstrang if he got on well with the Potions professor there and pay to take their exam as an external student. Negotiate to take a class in lieu of pay for a year say.

Which being so, Kevin went to ask Madam Hardbroom if he might sit in on classes just to keep his hand in.

Being Kevin, who had no side at all, Connie Hardbroom was glad to agree – so long as he did not fall behind in his other studies.

oOoOo

Lilith was happy to help Kevin with learning German and essential runes – Kevin was of the opinion that her definition of essential runes probably tallied closely with those of other marauders and involved use in mischief – in return for some training in art. In her ambition to take every exam she did not intend to leave art out; she was no great artist but she was ready to learn techniques and her grasp of significance in patterns was little short of uncanny. Lilith murmured something about reading deeper into Comparative Magic, something else Kevin was beginning to regret not studying. Their sessions together were mostly on the level of discussion around some pattern and had he but known it, Kevin was learning as much Comparative Magic as he was teaching Art!

And it was another couple of periods a week that David did not have to worry about where Lilith actually might be as she was, in her own idiom, only taking five NEWTs this year.

As Sextus was taking five OWLs ahead of the rest of the class, that meant the two brightest children in the school actually had enough work to do to keep their mercurial brains occupied.

Of course keeping them both out of mischief entirely was too much to hope for.

oOoOo

Sextus smiled beatifically one morning and said,

"I think from now my speech will always be

Iambic in its nature as you see."

"Why bother?" said Lilith. "It's not hard and it only proves that Ravenclaws really are addled."

"The proof dear Lilith is quite spurious

I do it to make others furious" said Sextus.

"Oh well if it pleases you it don't hurt the rest of us" shrugged Lilith. "If you managed trochees now not iambs and spoke like Hiawatha there might be some point in it."

Sextus discovered that a tongue stuck out spoke a thousand iambic pentameters.

It may be noted that he kept it up for a full three days – to the irritation of most and ignored by his own set – and then gave it up as a bad job to the relief of the staff who were finding it tiresome but could not actually find anything to criticise so long as the boy answered questions fully. And Minerva, who had acidly asked him to define Assimilative Correlation – which was out of his supposed knowledge as yet – in order to catch him out, had sighed and made a note of his excellent quatrain in definition.

"Assimilative correlation may

In finding likeness between objects two

Provide for the mutation thus a way

To concentrate the better spell to do".

"Wee sumpf" said Minerva, secretly moderately impressed.

Sextus had just grinned.

oOoOo

The weather improved enough to get back to earnest games of quidditch rather than the knockabouts on the beach and there had already been enough drama that year in more than just Ravenclaw.

Sampta had left Xanthia Fawcett off even the second team, one reason perhaps the girl had been so intemperate; Sampta had advanced that theory and an apology to Lilith who had entirely pooh-poohed it and told Sampta not to be a silly moo but make her dispositions as she saw fit. Sampta accepted this rather blunt way of putting it as Lilith's way of saying that she did not hold Sampta responsible and supported her decisions.

The Ravenclaw first team as rearranged the year before was actually playing the best it had played for some years and having already wiped the floor with both Hufflepuff and Gryffindor looked likely to make a clean sweep; Nathan, as head of Slytherin games, certainly did not consider their team quite a match for Ravenclaw's; though it might be close. It was the matter of Jack Murray; Paris Bullivant was good but he did not have that spark that a seeker needed; and really Lilith played much better at Keeper than as Seeker. And they had to play a first year in the first team too, Gondoline Goyle, who showed promise as Beater but had not yet the bulk that made a really good beater.

And Hufflepuff were looking forward to playing with their new player, Petrus, who had promptly replaced fifth year Herbert Clagg as second beater on the first team at the insistence of Miriam Moonshine, who was team captain, with enthusiastic endorsement from Herbert who said he loved the game, and By Jove, liked to see someone who could play it properly. Petrus' friend Sebastian was on the second team with another first year, Hilary Zeller, and Miriam said that with a bit of luck in a year or two Hufflepuff would have a team to take seriously.

It was Gryffindor which had been the main contender for drama queen of the year award, as Venus had put it disgustedly to the other Stripy Marauders.

One Sophronia Robins, in the fourth, had been played as chaser for the second team for a couple of years; she was good but not as good as some others. And she had not been happy about being passed over for promotion the year before by Hadjan gan Nork and Zakala Malfoy-Tobak, a pair of goblins which Sophronia, though she said nothing of this, resented more than anything else in that instance. And when Damian, as head of games in Gryffindor, asked her to play beater for the second team to keep the Malfoy twins Avice and Alienora together as chasers, being slight as they were and not suited as beaters she threw a total hissy fit and declared that if the team did not recognise her worth she did not recognise the team.

Damian had shrugged, and said 'fine' and set about rewriting his teams.

Seth Dumbledore was, fortunately, placid enough to play beater as well as a sturdily built lad and now in the third so not so tiny as most first years; and though he had played Seeker for the second team was ready to slot in where necessary even as he had been ready to cede his place to other, better, younger players. And there was a ready made replacement for seeker in Harronione Coote who was a natural; and Damian declared that it might be a stupid name but the spirit of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and the brains of Hermione Granger flew with her and she'd do for the first team seeker once Sekunder left.

Harri's cup ran over. That meant she would play first team seeker in her second year!

Most of the second team were very young; Roxanne Shacklebolt in the fourth and Seth and Bayard Chevallier in the third were the old ones of the team; the other four were first years, Harri, the twins and Varjak Malfoy-Tobak.

oOoOo

Slytherin had played only Gryffindor this year, a win for their first team and a loss for the second; which as three of the Slytherin second team were definitely also-rans who played only for House pride was not surprising. Walter, Isambard and U-may had volunteered to fill the places because nobody else would, or could; and Richard, Drogo and Pascoe Broadmoor might be all very good but they were still very inexperienced.

Pascoe, against all expectation with a family tradition of being beaters, tried out for and won the position of second seeker; and Richard and Drogo were content to work together as chasers together with Ludmila Yaxley. Though the second team did tease Ludmila that their team would have a better chance if she loaded her broom with aggressive plants!

oOoOo

Slytherin played Hufflepuff first, both teams; and as Drogo prophesied the first team won because the Huffers did not have the spirit, despite Petrus playing like a demon.

He was congratulated by his own team and Slytherin after the match however which delighted him! Being praised really was the drug that Petrus needed to find himself!

The second teams played a rather stodgily interminable game until light was called and decided to end in a draw on even points. Pascoe was the better seeker; but Isambard and U-may as beaters were no match for Norman Whitely and the stolid but efficient Herbert Clagg, who kept Pascoe more than busy enough to keep him from the snitch.

Slytherin met Ravenclaw next and, thanks to the extraordinary broomnastics of Lilith and inspired defending by Gondoline Goyle and Bryony Urquart, Ravenclaw were denied many points while Nathan, Phil Burke and Zajala racked up enough that even Jack Murray's catching of the snitch was not enough to deny Slytherin the win. Their second team fared less well; which was hardly surprising. Ravenclaw had some useful young players coming up the school.

oOoOo

It meant that the overall record stood at five wins for Ravenclaw, three and a half for Slytherin, three for Gryffindor and one and a half for Hufflepuff which was, as Dunbar Finch said half a win better than last year and a good omen of improvement.

And Nathan said that only a Huffer would put it that way.

oOoOo

David had urged the teams to get all their matches played because Prince Peak had issued a challenge to a Quiddpolo match after the exams were over in the summer; and he was keen to see the quiddpolo teams practice.

This was to be an all houses effort, and a couple of teams drawn from those who volunteered to learn to play; from which a first team would be picked.

And the Cricket team travelled too for an early game of cricket in the warmer climes of Devon at St Jodoc's, since playing the muggle school was now traditional. The practises on the beach in New Zealand paid off here; and the first eleven won by a run and two wickets; and the second team won by five runs. Which was enough. Naturally the boys of St Jodoc's promised revenge in the summer!

oOoOo

Sextus meanwhile had received a reply to the letter he had written to his mother and became morose and lapsed into trochaic tetrameter which, said Lilith, was a sure sign that he really was feeling more addled than any normal Ravenclaw because sounding like Hiawatha was far too highbrow for normal idiocy unless you were making a farce of the matter.

She asked him why. Sextus scowled.

"As my mother is a moron

and because she hates my father

hates him with a burning passion,

hates him with unreasoned fervour

then she can't accept I love him

and your cousin who he married

calls disloyal all my feelings

calls disloyal that I love them" he said.

"Well she is engaging in a bout of hysterical poor prunery but can't you just talk straight?" demanded Lilith.

"Not without breaking down and crying or saying things I might regret!" cried Sextus.

Lilith firmly wrapped her arms around him.

"Well break down and cry then you baboon; it's only me you're crying on" she said "And I don't believe I melt in salt water or I'd have dissolved when we went swimming in New Zealand."

Sextus gave a little whoop that was half laugh and half sob; and buried his face against her and cried. Lilith cuddled him and stroked his hair and waited for the storm to subside.

"Oh Lilith, what would I do without you?" said Sextus.

"Be a poor prune rather like daddy was because his girlfriend wasn't bright enough to pick up on his needs" said Lilith prosaically, taking the rhetorical question seriously. "Tell me."

"Well, because I'm taking some OWLs I'm supposed to stay for some of the holiday; and I wrote to mother to tell her that I intended to split the week I had at home between her and dad. And she wrote back the most garbled rubbish about how I was betraying her now my father was married, all but accused me of having the hots for Albertine or sucking up because of her association with the Prince family, and a load of rubbish. I burned it" he added as Lilith held out a hand "OY!" as she firmly legilimensed him.

"Riiiight" said Lilith. "I'd suggest she was menopausal only she's too young… jealous of your father? Probably. She burned her boats to have an affair with him and could despise him as 'only a muggle' and then he goes and marries into an influential wizarding family, and never mind that Cousin Albertine isn't actually the sort of person who goes to the sort of do's the top echelon attend – she'd run a mile if daddy suggested it – but I suspect your mother, seeing her launched from Malfoy Manor, thinks that she is, and wishes that SHE was, and hang about, Albertine was photographed with daddy and sundry other cousins and spread across Sparkle, all very tasteful and nothing that could be objected to because Kordach knows that where Lucius sues, daddy is more likely to rip off his head and piss down his neck."

"Graphic" said Sextus, almost his snide self again. "Oh dear; I never thought of that. Not that I've seen the article; how come you were reading tripe like that, Halfpint?"

"I wasn't; I was using it to cover the table while I played with Kevin's slugs" said Lilith calmly. "I was confunding them to crawl in significant patterns but sometimes they kind of ooze off the edge of the paper. It was a nice pic and I just noted that there wasn't anything to be offended about."

"Oh, that's all right" said Sextus "I thought you Slythers might have gone for more than usual in the brain softening techniques. Surely my mum's not shallow enough to….. actually she IS shallow enough to read that. I do love her you know" he added.

"'Course you do you Baboon" said Lilith affectionately "But sometimes bringing up the grownups we love can be a little wearing."

Sextus sighed.

"What should I do?" he asked.

"Decline the holiday at all; write and tell her that she sounds hysterical and ill and that you will forgo time at home to give her the chance to consult with a healer in St Mungo's; which tells her that you disapprove and find it unacceptable whilst being able to send a message of loving care" said Lilith "And write to your dad to see if he and Albertine can come up for a day trip to Hogsmeade. Maybe stay over a night at the Hog's Head. It's more robust than the Three Broomsticks."

"Somehow I can see dad and Albertine able to cope with robust….. I think I shall. I don't want to say anything to mum that I might regret if she makes me lose my temper; and she will. Not seeing her ought to prevent that AND make the message clear. I think I shall add that I don't need to have to deal with hysteria when I'm sitting OWLs next term."

"She'll have a hissy fit of course" said Lilith.

"Yes but she can have it in private" said Sextus "And I shan't have to deal with it; and I know that's selfish but I've placated her and placated her and put up with it and this is a time that's important to me; and she doesn't understand that."

"No" said Lilith dryly who had read his memory of the letter which had rambled into not understanding why he had to take any OWLs early since he could take them next year and she could have her baby with her all holidays. It had been an embarrassing letter and she could see why Sextus was nauseated and angered. Particularly since Madam Scarpin seemed to spend all the time when her baby WAS with her in picking fault. Distance seemed to lend a roseate hue to the way in which she looked at him.

Lilith disliked Madam Scarpin; but one day the witch would be her mother-in-law, if all went to plan, and she would have to rub along with her; so Lilith took the line of being what she considered to be nauseatingly cute and rather like the portrayal of Chrysogon Rufus in his mother's cynically penned poetry.

It kept her from being carped at and about by Sextus' mother who considered Chrysogon Rufus to be adorable.

oOoOo

Lilith dropped in to see David unofficially.

She explained all about it and finished,

"….So you see although I know you'd urge him not to stay all the while and would normally think he ought to go home, I really think he's best given the chance to keep out of an emotional situation."

David nodded. Lilith had thought it all through. At least Sextus was not a problem child because of his problem parent! And that was largely down to having been firmly adopted by Lilith too, he reflected. Lilith was such an eminently sane child, deeply loved and well aware of that without being spoilt; and how easy it would have been for Krait and Severus to spoil their firstborn child, the child of the time of terror who had so nearly been killed by that accident that had her being born so early….. but Lilith had been given firm and loving discipline, had been taught self discipline, and had grown up knowing caring compassion and generosity as a part of her upbringing.

For all the challenges of having such a mischievous little genius in the school, David was glad that he had the privilege – and it was a privilege – to assist in her development and growing up.

He gave her a hug and a kiss.

"I'll take care of your Sextus, young Lilith" he promised.

oOoOo

Lilith decided that Sextus needed to be involved in some true mischief – finding secret places did not count – and the Stripy Marauders took combs and paper and flitted joyously through the secret passages after midnight serenading various sleeping pupils with the unholy noise of renditions of Celestina Warbeck's top hits on the principle that comb and paper sounded enough like banshees that it came under assimilative correlation by scary.

Not all their involuntary audience were impressed.

Fortunately most of them growled something about Marauders and pulled the blankets over their heads; and the Marauders avoided junior dormitories in case of scaring little ones.

oOoOo

David asked in the morning if anyone would care to own to the authorship of the wailing banshees in the night; and when the Stripy Marauders stood, unrepentantly, informed them that since they had lost so much of their sleep they might go to bed at seven o'clock for the rest of the week.

The Stripy Marauders accepted this terrible sentence stoically and David decided to pretend that he did not hear Jayashree say to her fellows that the Head had never said when they must get up.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Those who were staying for the Easter holidays to have their revision carefully supervised discovered that the Weird Marauders had left them a jape to cheer up their leisure time.

They found out during a knockabout match of fifteen-a-side quidditch when sundry of the brooms started breaking wind in a rather equine sounding way.

Lilith used the Revellaspell ruthlessly and started laughing.

"It's quite enterprising of the little tykes" she said, conveniently ignoring the fact that all the 'little tykes' were older than she. "I gather it's an engulfing charm well twisted with vanishing components to take the gas from the back end of the various horses of the stables and redirect each horse's personal product to a particular broom; it's moderately sophisticated."

David, riding a particularly flatulent broom, hid a wry grin over the fact that Lilith and co had been producing even more moderately sophisticated japes for a number of years now.

"I suppose" drawled Sextus "We should be pleased that it's only the gas they've usurped."

"Spoken too soon" said Mimi "Your boom is peeing Sextus."

Sextus gave a howl of dismay.

"We need to cancel this quick or the cricket pitch will be ruined!" he said.

A quick chant returned the bodily functions of the rear end of the horses to their proper owners and the game continued without further interruption.

oOoOo

Sextus was really pleased when his father and new stepmother travelled up to Hogsmeade to see him.

Ashley Pencastle was still bemused and delighted by the wizarding world though his shop was doing very well for selling the muggle articles that could be used by wizards; and he had received a licence to sell enchanted muggle items that were on the permitted list too. This included typewriters charmed to type whatever was spoken, on a command word, rather like QuickQuotes pens; and hand sewing machines with the special morphing foot designed by Lydia Snape. The steam engine that brought them thrilled him; and his wife Albertine was having fun showing him the world she had taken for granted hitherto, even though she had not actually partaken of many of its thrills.

Ashley hugged his son, and then hugged Lilith.

"Sextus, Albertine and I were considering starting a family" he said "Are you still all right about that?"

Sextus hugged his father hard.

"Dad, I think that would be wonderful!" he said "You and Mum Albertine OUGHT to have children; and I'll be the luckiest big brother in the world; and I shan't let mum stop me visiting because if she tries I'll jolly well threaten her with asking to be YOUR responsibility. That's why I asked you to come here; because she threw one over me splitting any holiday between her and you."

Ashley sighed.

"I don't know WHY she hates me so much" he said "When she found out I was a muggle you'd think I had turned into a serial adulterer crossed with Ghengis Khan with Voldemort for a mother!"

Sextus gave a shaky grin.

"Scary visual place" he said. "I guess….. what, you mean I was conceived and she never knew your blood status?"

"It happened rather fast" said Ashley dryly "I'd stopped the car and wandered over to get a better look at the people on brooms actually flying – I thought it was a movie set and they had some kind of movie way of making it look real – and your mother and I sort of got very friendly very fast and….. well I didn't like to ask questions about the game, it seemed impolite to the lady I was with….. we fixed to go out for a few dates, and somehow we never actually talked about me not being quite sure what was going on; and I figured she was a bit too scatty for me, and I was going to end it when she told me she was pregnant. Well of course I was going to do the proper thing and marry her; but she got to asking questions about my family and it transpired I was a muggle and she screeched at me a lot and – I know now – disapparated. Well I wasn't going to lose touch with any child I had, if she did not have an abortion; so I grabbed the first goblin I saw in London and asked to be taken to the Ministry – she had mentioned going to the ministry for a marriage bond – so I saw several people and was registered as the muggle parent of a wizarding child and issued rights of visit. And to do Lucretia justice, she did tell me to get out of the country during the time Voldemort had control of the ministry in case I was murdered for sleeping with a pure blood witch. She wasn't pleased to acknowledge me but she didn't want my death on her conscience. And it's gone on for years that she's ashamed of having been hot for a muggle and having his child."

"Well if you could see a game of quidditch and goblins you're not a pure muggle" said Lilith "You're a sensitive. And actually I think your hybrid vigour has probably made Sextus a stronger wizard for it. Because a lot of old pure bred families are awfully inbred. We think it was a picture of Albertine and various Prince cousins in a society mag that's made her a bit dippy at the moment; jealousy of Albertine's place in society."

"But I don't HAVE a place in society" said Albertine, bemused.

"I get it though, Tina" said Ashley, using the pet name he gave to his wife "You don't have to be in society, it's just that Lucretia THINKS you're in society."

"Yes" said Lilith "So too we thought. Do you want us to call you Tina, cousin Albertine?"

Ashley sighed.

"Poor Luctretia" said Tina. "Yes please, I should like to have a shorter name; Albertine IS a little unwieldy!"

"You're good to pity her more than be angry" said Sextus "Thank you; I mean, she IS my mum."

"Let's put such clouds behind us and have a good day" said Ashley, firmly. "Show us the sights."

So far as Sextus was concerned the sights included the small bookshop in Hogsmeade. Lilith took over sight seeing to take them to see the castle – which was no longer disillusioned in any case, but Ashley could also see the quidditch pitch well enough and laughed uproariously when the youngsters showed him the bog of very long lasting stench and insisted on jumping on the stepping stones to make them give off their horrid bubbles of gas.

He was stunned by the flying horses too; there was so much about this world that he did not know!

And his son and any other children he and his Tina had were going to be a part of it!

oOoOo

David was delighted that his programme of carefully enforced periods of rest and leisure seemed to induce a more relaxed attitude amongst his students. The balance between relaxed enough and too laid back to get up the energy to study at all was a fine one; so he took a leaf from Severus' book and organised a quiz for each of the two age groups – or rather, bearing in mind that Sextus and Lilith were involved, the two levels of exam.

As there were a larger number of students he decided to organise it as a House competition; and in the same way as Severus had done had dedicated wands to buzz and glow when tapped for the first team to get there to answer a starter question.

There was almost an unseemly brawl because Drusillina Hallow crowed cheerfully that Slytherin had Mimi AND Lilith AND Mafalda, and she had to be rescued from fellow Marauders Maud and Isabel who felt they had to be partisan for Gryffindor, and Bella had to go hunting for all Drusillina's fingernails to put back on and to release her from the ceiling whence she had been floated and her hair glued to it.

Drusillina took it with philosophy.

The Gryffindors felt that house honour had been satisfied.

The Ravenclaws shrugged and declared that they would do their best but that Lilith Snape was a menace to society for being unwholesomely clever.

The Hufflepuffs laughed and said it was the value to their revision that counted not the winning.

Which as Sampta Patil said privately was just as well as all the intelligent Huffers were in the lower sixth not the exam class.

oOoOo

It may be noted that Slytherin NEWT students carried the day decisively with as many points as the other three houses added together; and most of them came from Lilith being quick on the wand and knowing most of the starter questions including those in subjects she had not yet taken OWL in even.

None of the scholars of the Slytherin Sixth cared; she played for House honour, and what she did NOT know for the followup questions – which tended to be deeper – they were permitted to confer over anyway.

Lilith was awarded pats on the back and chocolate cauldrons by her fellows.

oOoOo

The Slytherin OWL class had four Marauders in it too; because Walter Crabbe was taking seven OWLs with his chronological contemporaries though technically only in the third. He had decided that it was time to pull up his mark and move forward, for all that he enjoyed being with the other Weird Marauders; and they had done all they could to support him. Walter intended moving into the Sixth with the Pepperingye Marauders and taking a few more OWLs in the Lower Sixth because if he did fall behind, then he could drop back to the class he had been in. David had been impressed by his attitude – and his hard work – and had permitted this readily.

The Ravenclaw OWL class had three Marauders of its own, Sextus, Jingjie and Wanda.

It was however a totally shaming situation that Hufflepuff managed not one single starter question; and though the two Marauders of Gryffindor House rallied their own fellows to perform with some ability, it was, as Tobala said in resignation, the Slytherin and Ravenclaw show. She had lost their team a few points by buzzing too quickly and answering what she thought was being asked – which sometimes led to her giving an erudite and NEWT level wrong answer – but as she had got as many or more right her team forgave her for impulsiveness.

Ravenclaw won by five points and the House was much relieved to be able to salvage some pride from the Slytherin whitewash at NEWT level.

oOoOo

The whole point WAS, as David said, they had discovered what they DID know, and what they did not; and so had a responsibility to revise harder on the questions in their chosen fields that they had been unable to answer or had answered incorrectly; and to be aware if they were likely to misread an exam question for over-excitement.

This was aimed at Tobala; who flushed. She determined to be very methodical in the exams!

oOoOo

To recover from the quiz, and to give the students time to consolidate what they needed to revise, David took them all to a muggle funfair.

He slipped a few garden gnomes Hagrid had caught into his pocket too; gnomes loved funfairs, which was why David had built a few devices in his own time at school that they could operate for themselves, like the gnome-hurling machine. It kept them occupied and out of Hagrid's way. Degnoming the excess by taking them into Glasgow and leaving them with a visiting funfair was as efficient as any way of degnoming and more humane than many.

The wizarding children found the muggle rides surprisingly enjoyable and exciting and were entirely puzzled by the ghost train since there were no real ghosts in it.

"It's most peculiar" complained Mafalda Prewett to David – the NEWT students were permitted free rein unsupervised, the fifth expected to go about in groups of three or four – "There are all these muggles shrieking at nothing."

"Muggles don't, on the whole, really believe in the existence of ghosts" said David "Or rather, a lot of them HALF believe. And because their training and common sense as they see it tells them that ghosts are not real, they can get a thrill from what is essentially almost a pretend fright and therefore not really threatening – but it's still a stimulation. Like the roller coaster. Everyone knows that it's not going to be really dangerous, but it FEELS a bit dangerous. Muggles have humdrum lives; and their laws preclude anyone from having any real fun if there is the most minute risk involved. This is their compensation for the lack of thrill."

"Oh!" said Mafalda "My parents would probably like a law that prevented them having any thrills or fun."

"And would you?" asked David.

"N….no" said Mafalda "I should like the option to choose. I think I would generally pick a safe option but it should be up to me and not the Wizgamot. Poor muggles! They are then more enslaved by their own legislation than Voldemort would have had them?"

"Only in a way" said David "They are trammelled rather than enslaved; Voldemort would have put them in pens and camps and made them work to death without caring about their safety."

"Oh well; I suppose at least if they choose their government they almost deserve it" said Mafalda "But I'm sorry for the ones that didn't vote in their council."

David shrugged.

"Unfortunately the urge to control permeates all their politicians whatever they claim to represent" he said "They operate on a system of two semi-credible and one risible party of belief structures and being a politician is a career not a duty."

"Maybe we SHOULD be infiltrating and controlling muggles then!" said Mafalda "To rescue them from the consequences of such folly."

David gave a rueful laugh.

"The trouble is, Mafalda, you can't take people over for their own good; it's unfair to them and interferes with their personal development. And it doesn't work. They resent the control and if you give them back their independence after you think they've learned, the chances are they slip back into their old ways. Whereas if you left them alone they might have learned by your example. Not that we can show the muggles our example; but we can hope they get over their current sillinesses. We got over our terminal stupidity when the ministry showed how inept they were and how foolish we were to trust them in the years of the second wizarding war. And it's why we did not crush Gerhardt Grindelwald ourselves, but infiltrated Jade Snape into Durmstrang to do it with the team she assembled there. We gave material help for the big battle against his forces; and then faded away to leave the Germanic peoples to win their own peace. Yes, Jade is still interfering. But not too overtly."

Mafalda nodded.

"Remind me I want nothing to do with politics sir" she said.

oOoOo

After the fun of the fair, and because David wanted to use it as an exemplar, he set races for each group of exam students in which they had to used charms and transfigurations to make and negotiate almost fairground like obstacles in an obstacle course. This included for the NEWT students transfiguring a pile of wood into a roller coaster fitting the wheels of a shopping trolley that had to be enchanted to follow the track and then fly after being launched from the final rise. The races were held with teams of four and covered Arithmancy in having to solve a number of difficult practical problems on their course, and Dark Arts in defeating foes on the way and indeed was almost a miniature Triwizard maze. The OWL students had much the same but toned down.

It was voted really good fun by exhausted students who went to bed that night tired but happy.

Mafalda did complain that she was having dreams of riding a rolleroaster and having to answer questions shot at her from both sides however; and knowing that Mafalda was inclined to over work and to worry about her grades, David prescribed her the Elixir to produce Euphoria – with the improvements Severus had introduced – allied with the Draught of Peace to give her a full day round with a clear and happy mind.

"I don't normally believe in using potions to correct thought imbalance" he said "But your brain goes into overdrive – er, works too furiously for your own good – and I think it will help you get back into perspective."

Mafalda had learned the wisdom of not over working and nodded ruefully. It was why she had reported the nightmare instead of keeping it to herself as she had been wont to do in her younger years.

She sat about in the common room all day with a happy smile on her face doing crosswords – which was Mafalda's idea of being laid back – and found herself much refreshed.

Bella poked a pot of Severia flowers at her.

"We brought these on to flowering" she said "Keep the ruddy things by your bed and they should give you calm, dreamless sleep. And make you feel good. It's a more subtle effect than the potions Fido poked into you but it'll help until the exams are over."

"Thank you Bella" said Mafalda gratefully. The Belle Marauders were good sorts.

oOoOo

Bella was more excited by the fluttery kicks inside her than by the exams; although Bella was always wont to take exams in a fairly phlegmatic way, working on the principle that as she had put in the work during her years at school she should be able to pass any exam on what should be something anyone who did the work knew backwards. It was a Marauding principle that revision should never be more than a check and should not take the place of a nose to the grindstone approach to learning all year round. She knew that she had done the work and felt that she knew her subjects well. Bella fully anticipated getting most of her five NEWTs at 'O' grade and preferred to do that than take more and risk dropping grades. Had she known that Lucius would judge the twelve hour chant a suitable stand-in for the practical for her year and the previous she might have done one more NEWT; but her decision was made. And it was always possible to study further when in the world of academe teaching, as well she might. Bella looked forward to revising the OWL level work in ancient runes and in enchanting in her spare time, and then taking both studies deeper; largely in order to be ready to meet the daily challenges a professor must meet.

The daily challenges Bella was used to were a little more excessive than most professors might consider reasonable; Hogwarts having been a central target for both Voldemort and Odessa. However she accepted fighting off jealous dark wizards with phlegmatism as part of the way things were.

And in a new school where the divide between the haves and the have-nots was perhaps one of the greatest in the world it might not be unreasonable to suppose that there would be those who would oppose the idea of the street children of India's wizarding world getting any kind of education.

Bella however did not pause to consider the philosophy; she just accepted. Even as she accepted motherhood because that was the way things were supposed to be. Tigers took things as they came; and Bella had made herself, essentially, a tiger.

And she was permitted to spend some time with her husband over the holidays; since Assim had firmly distanced himself from her during the term for the good of her studies.

Assim was like that; but if she needed him to take any problem to, Bella knew he would be there for her and lay aside distance to let her bury herself in his fluffy white tummy.

It was what fluffy white tummies were there for.

oOoOo

The Belle Marauders spent much of their time together. It was an unspoken agreement; because after they finished their exams Bella and Assim were straight off to India, and the others would be marrying as soon as the holidays began, and scattering to disparate places. Mimi and her Darryl were to start educating French goblins; Maud would join her Fabian teaching in the new free school in Munich; Drusillina would join Leo in Schloss Adler where he had elected to stay for now while she trained as a Healer in St Bernard's free hospital which would help her knowledge generally as an animal healer too. Isabel, marrying Chad, would be keeping him in order and researching for his dramas that were becoming well known on Wizarding Wireless Vision. Isabel also planned to write on her own account; she planned to write History text books under her own name, and historical novels to keep, as she put it, the wolf from the door, under the name of Mildrusabelle Tibbins. She had achieved this name by taking Mimi's name, Drusillina and Bella as well as her own for the first name; and Tibbins was a surname that derived from one of the Medieval shortenings of Isabel. Isabel was quietly elated since her first novel had been accepted by Malfoy Press; and 'The Quiet Warlock' would be out in print by the time she was married. It might not be great literature – Isabel was sure it was anything but – but it was the sort of novel to appeal to a large proportion of the witches in England, set around the time of the Statute of Secrecy where a background of jealousy and fear meant that some of the more vulnerable of the wizarding world were not found places to retire quietly to hide. The eponymous warlock seemed to be an ordinary and even boring young wizard who secretly put his life on the line to save families of goblins from panicked wizarding folk who wanted to be the first behind disillusionment charms or in wizarding space enclaves. The romance running through the story was with the quarter goblin nursemaid of his young son from his arranged marriage that ended in widowhood; and how she nurses him when he is wounded by racist extremists. The Belle Marauders had read Isabel's efforts first and had made constructive criticism and they voted it a good read. Whilst they were a trifle biased, Isabel had hopes that the general public would agree.

Lucius certainly agreed; it raised still further the positive profile of goblins and part goblins and that had to be to the good.

"Not that you need to keep the wolf from the door, Izzywiggles" said Mimi lazily as they discussed Isabel's hopeful success "Because your mum has money and so does Chad."

"Well it's best not to rely on that" said Isabel "And besides, you never know when it may come in handy."

"That's true enough!" asseverated Bella "With all the things Marauders get up to!"

"Anyway, then I can help support those who need it in the various schools you oiks are spending your inherited lolly on" said Isabel.

"She's a good egg" said Drusillina.

"And you at least will have the freedom to go globe trotting Izz" said Mimi "So you'd better come visit us all."

"Oh I shall" said Isabel "Passing on the dirt about which of you I have seen previously and grabbing local colour for more stories."

"Tacking on some purple patches" said Mimi.

"OY! The rest of us gave up ancient runes; leave Horace out of it" said Bella.

"Well at least you know the quote" said Mimi.

"I know his smutty ones too but that doesn't mean I want to be reminded of them" said Bella.

They had a grass fight, which ended with a lot of giggling and the need to cast a lot of grooming spells to be able to return to the school looking like sixth formers and not like a load of heedless scarecrows.

oOoOo

Lilith and Sextus enjoyed their Easter break as well; holding to the same tenets as their elders in the matter of revision they treated their set revision periods with respect and enjoyed themselves between whiles, Lilith testing Sextus at his request and declaring it utterly unnecessary since she knew exactly what he knew and if it was equal to the japes they had been pulling it was more than equal to half a dozen OWLs.

The ensuing duel would probably have worried any non marauders of their own class had they witnessed it; but Sextus and Lilith quite enjoyed it and were both giggling as they had to go in hot pursuit of the stag which sported Sextus' ears on its antlers. Sextus was a trifle hampered by having his legs glued together but Lilith apported onto the stag's back to get a good fix on the ears to return them to their rightful owner since she was a little hampered in running for having her feet on backwards.

oOoOo

The Pepperingye Marauders with Walter wandered into Hogsmeade to see how many subtle charms and transfigurations they could pull off wordlessly and wandlessly for the most humorous effect.

Aberforth Dumbledore was later to scratch his head in faint confusion to find his goats sporting bunny ears – it being appropriate for Easter – and pale lavender – just because. The tankards in The Hog's Head belched from time to time and those in the Three Broomsticks hiccupped, and said 'pardon me' coyly. The sign outside the broom repair shop started singing 'Jingle Bells' because it was NOT appropriate to Easter; and all the costumes displayed in the window of Gladrags Wizardwear were solemnly dancing with each other. Selected sweeties in Honeydukes Sweetshop were singing Madonna's 'Candy Perfume Girl' in the voice of the Chipmunks.

Feeling that with this amount of mayhem a job had been well jobbed the Pepperingye Marauders went back to the castle with a bag full of singing sweeties that they had bought to keep them company.

The good folk of Hogsmeade grumbled faintly but the disruption was only of the nuisance level variety and readily cancelled so they sighed and muttered a little and decided not to bother to make any complaint. These little vicissitudes went with having a school on the doorstep and the school on their doorstep covered a great part of their livelihood.

And at least, as Aberforth said, scratching between the horns of one of his restored goats, it was better to have silly japes then dirty tricks such as Voldemort used to get up to and frankly he strongly suspected the author of the pranks to be as likely to be his brother as any of the kids up for exams.

Albus, who had got in a babysitter as soon as he heard about the mayhem so he could see for himself shook his head.

"Not me, Aberforth; but I half wish I'd thought of it first" he said.

"You're an old fool" said Aberforth affectionately.

"Yes. It keeps me young" said Albus cheerfully.

This was something of a non-sequiteur so Aberforth grunted and drew him a pint of cider in one of the tankards which was still affected by magical eructation.

"Which would not be so bad" said Albus, as he cured his tankard in a hurry "If there wasn't a distinct morning-after smell to the burping."

"Are you implying I don't wash my crockery out?" said Aberforth.

"Either that or it was a more efficient charm than I realised" said Albus. "Ah well! Your very good health!"

oOoOo

It may be said that the non marauding members of the fifth who were in Hogsmeade enjoyed the effects of the japes whilst being privately very glad that they had not been the victims of such; as Edward Kettleburn said to Nathan. Being Edward Kettleburn he almost made the expression of relief into a lecture little short of accusation.

"Look here, Kettleburn, since when have you thought we might be low enough to upset exam students by japing them?" demanded Nathan belligerently. "That's just beyond the pale, you know!"

"Hear hear" said Charis "As well as being decidedly against school rules."

"I was only saying I was glad that it wasn't us you japed!" said Kettleburn.

"Well saying it in a tone that suggests that this is a surprise and implying that we've risen above the rather base sort of nature that would do that is NOT conducive to it being taken well" growled Isambard. "You are such an officious prig, Kettleburn, you're in danger of being taken for the worst sort of Hufflepuff; especially as you mind other people's business so well that your grades suffer. Harris is well shut of your suit, I can tell you!" he added.

Kettelburn scowled; he had not MEANT to put any backs up; he did not understand how he had done so. He retired hurt; taking on the Marauders by word or deed was too risky a business to even contemplate.

"Some of us enjoyed the japes and appreciated that they were all minor and easy to reverse" said Orlando Ogden.

"Well thank you, Ogden" said Nathan "We do try to be fair. Have a singing sweetie?"

Ogden cautiously took a sweetie that crooned in its high pitched voice that he was a young velvet porcelain boy and asked him to devour it when he was with it.

Ogden shuddered but manfully popped it into his mouth.

The sweetie dissolved far enough to stop singing in a rather muffled way that it was his candy perfume girl by the time he had sucked it a few times.

"You are a right bunch" he said, a trifle thickly.

They all grinned at him.

oOoOo

The only person who was not happy with the Headmaster's scheme of things was Walter Trimmer who felt that there should be more revision work; especially as his parents wrote to him daily and asked him how much revision he had done.

He wrote back explaining that the head banned revision all the time; and the Trimmers sent a complaint to David.

David wrote back rather coldly that since the institution of his scheme the previous year the results of the students had surpassed any other results ever in the annals of Hogwarts – admittedly having Gorbrin and Ming in the same year for NEWTs had helped that average – with the average for NEWT level exams rising to four at grade 'E' or better over the previous high average of four with two at 'E'; and the OWL average had risen to nine with an average of six at 'E' or better, surpassing the previous high of an average of nine passes. He added that if they continued to harass their son he would have them reported for child abuse and suggested that when he wanted his drains cleaned he would call in an expert like Mr Trimmer and thought that they might do HIM the professional courtesy of assuming that a Professor had some idea about the education of children.

He also had Walter in his office and told him that on no account was he to risk his attainments by addling his brain and that the boy should know the consequences.

He had asked Mafalda Prewett up to explain what her parents had put her through and how ill it had made her, and that since she was working at a less febrile pace she was doing much better.

"And your parents are stupid to think that you can revise all hours of the day too, Trimmer" said Mafalda "And it shows they don't have any idea how the brain actually works. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest that, in common with MY parents, their brains DON'T work. So shut up whining and use the ruddy revision books that were written by the New Marauders that you discarded because you think them too flippant and try not to act the goat."

It was not a speech David could have made; but he concurred very well with its sentiments.

Walter was sulky; but David had no intention of letting him flout orders and set house elves to watch him and confiscate any revision material the boy smuggled anywhere out of revision time.

By the time a house elf had appeared in the toilet three times to take a book from the boy he was starting to get the idea.

Some people were just so hard to help!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

There were no untoward occurrences to disrupt the return of the majority of the students for the final term of the year, and the term was soon under way with, perhaps predictably, a diversion from the Weird Marauders to cheer everybody up.

They had been researching a potion which they had brewed at home over the holidays – Walter excepted since he was at school revising – and proceeded to give an impromptu concert at which they drank their potions, promptly grew feathers all over, and proceeded to sing every song they knew about birds.

It was a piece of unmitigated silliness that went down very well, though Ingram Scrimgeour was heard to remark that the lower school got more foolish every year.

"Notice you don't eschew the foolishness of a trip to the beach" said Wendy Waffling cynically "Which, may I remind you, was a lower school stunt. And one that YOU couldn't pull even now. Like I doubt you could duplicate their potion. You're a pompous tick, Scrimgeour and you DESERVE to work in the ministry."

Scrimgeour blinked.

"I WANT to work in the ministry" he said.

"Like I said; you're one sick puppy" said Wanda.

Scrimgeour was confused and slightly hurt. Well Wanda and her set were almost as lawless a set of elements as Marauders having a gang like that; what she thought was immaterial.

It may be said that Ingram Scrimgeour was not an intimate of the Society Against Slavery or their associates.

oOoOo

The spring and early summer were warm, though Bella complained that Argyllshire was experiencing more rainfall than usual whereas almost all the rest of the country had it dry. Her fellows thoughtfully tripped her into a puddle – they were out for a walk at the time between recurrent falls of Scots Mist – for being defeatist.

"Besides Bellabuttons" said Mimi "Soon when you're in India where it's either parched or flooded a little gentle British rain will seem heavenly."

Bella extracted herself from a wet and peaty puddle and applied drying and cleaning charms with an absent wave of the hand; and as Isabel said, it was worth mussing Bella just to see the elegant way she dealt with it.

"It's the prerogative of any true Brit to moan about the weather whatever it is" Bella said severely.

"Well I for one am quite happy for a change from New Zealand even if it is a little damp underfoot" said Drusillina "Not that I ever thought I'd say that; I love the beach but sometimes one just longs for the familiar."

"Well that's why we're here not New Zealand" said Bella patiently "And I only said it would be even nicer if it didn't rain so flipping much."

Bella was left with the last word; life was easier that way when the subject they were arguing about really did not matter!

oOoOo

It was not long until the NEWTs were upon them!

Ancient Runes was the province of Mimi, Mafalda, and the Malfoy-Tobak twins; Griselen and Genavka had the advantage of Lucius' extensive library and moreover liked to take an interest in those subjects their stepfather held dear. Unlike their brother they were taking a safe five NEWTs like Bella, Maud and Drusillina. Isabel was sticking on four; Mafalda Prewett was taking six; and Mimi was being – as Bella said – a typical Snape and going for eight.

The texts for the Ancient Runes exam were creation myths, one in Finnish from the Kalevala; one in hieroglyphs; and one in ancient Hebraic which was at least a well enough known story to guess wildly at any parts that were unknown. It was followed by short questions which were no worse than usual.

"I am uncomfortable with this Jewish Ritual" giggled Mimi afterwards whistling the Indiana Jones theme. The twins poked her.

oOoOo

Arithmancy was another exam Mimi was taking together with Mafalda, this time joined by Drusillina and assorted Ravenclaws.

There were no surprises in the complex four hour exam and they worked steadily, finishing with the calculation for the engulfing charm at Gringott's bank; once they had the orientation and location explaining what this long equation represented was easy. Mimi thought so anyway and if Mafalda's agreement was a little tepid in its enthusiasm and Drusillina called her a swotty moo and the Ravenclaws scowled that was just the way of life.

oOoOo

Nobody was taking Art; so the next exam was Chanting.

Lucius was still running around Europe examining other people who had not yet got their own examiners; but as Chanting at this level was still only very much the province of Marauders, Bella, Maud and Mimi who were the Marauders taking the exam would at least be spared the practical having been deemed to have covered it in the twelve hour chant to free European house elves from the compulsion to self punish. Griselen was the only other candidate – her twin had not found it so easy – and Lucius had asked that she be tested by the Broomstick Boys who were registered to examine music exams. They would go directly to Austria to undertake music exams there, but for one candidate happily accepted the assignment.

Lucius had provided a cursed broomstick to un-curse by chanting; and Griselen was in no wise penalised since at NEWT level each candidate went individually for their practical test anyway; or, as Bella said, the Marauders studying chanting would have joined her to give her moral support. Griselen was grateful for the thought; the Marauders were decent.

The written exam which followed involved the evolution of a number of chants to cover a number of problems including the minimising of the use of sun symbology, which obviously referred to Achille Crouch Villeneuve's ambitions. Griselen applied Ancient Runes, Mimi applied Ancient Runes AND Arithmancy and Bella and Maud applied instinct and what Lucius later described as Assimilative Correlation by brazen cheek.

oOoOo

The two Care of Beasts exams appeared more or less in alphabetical order so there was no likelihood of it involving Mackled Malaclaws. Only Drusillina from the Marauders was involved, and she was taking the Care of Domestic Beasts exam. She cheerfully saddled and rode a flying horse, checked its hooves for chizpurfles and curried it. She demonstrated how to amputate the second tail from a crup and spoke of minor ailments.

The written covered various pets from horses through dogs to nifflers. Drusillina felt she had done fairly well on the whole.

oOoOo

Charms was the preserve of Mimi, Mafalda, both Malfoy-Tobak twins and sundry others; and Lilith. The long essay was on locomotor charms and Mimi strayed a little in writing about the use of Finnish naming magic to facilitate these as well as writing too many arithmantic notes on the energy required to lift any given weight by a given height and getting technical on circular motion and Waffling's laws of locomotion. It may be said that Lilith wrote hardly any less or was any less arithmantic.

There were questions on memory charms and barrier charms and the protean charm, none of them long or complex.

The practical was as standard as always with the obliviation or confundment of a muggle who had seen Buckbeak; and, as locomotor charms had been the long question it was no surprise that the Protean Charm was required as a practical demonstration. Mimi, feeling perverse, put the dark mark on the forearms of chocolate frogs making them all jump when one was activated. Being Mimi she made it too complex so that any frog could activate any other, a refinement well past NEWT level. Lilith used muggle collectable cards of breeds of dogs which barked when patted which was also somewhat advanced. Everyone else stuck to changing details of coins or collectable cards.

oOoOo

Comparative magic was the favoured subject of Hogwarts tiger fans; which was Bella, the faithful Maud and Mimi. A few others had stuck the course too. A long question on Rangoli, Kolams, and other protective patterns formed the basis of the exam which was, as Mimi said, jolly nice. There were of course other disparate questions but as Mimi said, a long essay question on patterns was a gift to the arithmancer. Maud and Bella tickled her until she squealed for pax.

oOoOo

Defence against the Dark Arts was always going to be an exam at which any Marauders expected to excel. Lilith was taking this too and looked upon it as 'good fun'.

The written exam involved protective spells which had those who intended teaching straying into the post NEWT regions of Wards Major. Mimi's masterly summation of the protective wards to be used if attempting demonology was well outside the province of the exam although technically covered by the question as it was phrased; and the other marauders and the twins also touched on demonology and the fey even if only in passing. Lilith surpassed herself with a demonstration that arithmantically it made sense to have the protective charms tattooed onto one's own skin if stupid enough to want to raise demons.

The practical posed no problems at all; they all had solid shield charms and well trained wills; and the examiner consumed quite a lot of mandragora in being restored from stone.

oOoOo

None of the Belle Marauders were taking either Enchanting or Geomancy; nor were any of them taking Herbology so they were able to take a few days off and point and giggle at other students frazzled from their exertions. This was something that was not amusing for those unfortunate Herbology students carried sleeping from the greenhouses after being affected by the spores of Yawning Toadstools. And the Marauders had every sympathy for those who failed the Herbology practical and thus forfeited the whole exam and would not have pointed or giggled at such, even had they been awake to notice.

"Plants are vicious" said Drusillina with feeling. She had had a run in with Ludmila Yaxley's Sagittarius spinifora earlier.

"Yes and worse than dragons even because you don't expect it until they attack" said Bella who had been a regular victim of the amorous Sagittarius plant.

They went into Hogsmead to buy consolation chocolates for the victims.

oOoOo

Lilith took both Enchanting and Herbology; she wrote enthusiastically of Assimilative Correlation by association when describing the choices to be made when enchanting objects; and for the practical she cored a wand and made a sieve float in the lake, and rowed the examiner about in it, getting bored enough with such pedestrian transport to remark gaily that hydroplaning would be more fun and proceeding to demonstrate exactly what this was to the examiner with arithmantic asides that would have made the poor woman seasick had the motion not already managed to achieve this effect.

Lilith dealt with her yawning mushrooms by the expedient of casting the engulfing charm on them to collect their valuable spores; indeed she cast the charm and then prodded quiescent toadstools into developing far enough to yawn and thus expel perfectly ripe spores.

The written, dealing largely with soil types and manures and how to nurture different plants was, Lilith thought, quite straightforward.

oOoOo

Isabel was taking History, as was Genavka Malfoy-Tobak. This was a question of choosing four essays from eight. Isabel chose to 'chart the changes in the muggle world leading to the institution of the Statute of Secrecy' for one of them; and picked further 'Explain the significance of the exploitation of muggles by Gellert Grindelwald and the Odessa' for another; 'Consider the muggle belief that witchcraft constituted heresy and draw parallels with the suppression of Lollardy in the 15th century' and to finish up with 'outline the development of wizarding governance from early informal movements to the formation of international agreements'. She felt that she had done quite well; she knew her subject.

Lilith was the only candidate in the school taking Muggle Studies. It was rarely taken to NEWT and then usually only by those wishing to enter the Muggle Office of the ministry or to research muggles or teach muggle studies. The essay questions were similar in some respects to those for the OWL but with more complexity; and too a piece of coursework had to be submitted which included analysis of muggle literature or media entertainment with reference to either the desire most muggles had not to know, or a study of how fantasy and science fiction genres led to the concept that some muggles realised that there was more than they knew and either wished for greater knowledge or wished to displace their feelings in something that could be dismissed as mere fiction.

Lilith had written, with reference to muggle works of philosophy, that it was the nature of all humans to seek for some power outside themselves which led to religion as well as to science fiction and fantasy. She had used 'Alice in Wonderland', the 'Chronicles of Narnia' 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Star Wars' as her texts, comparing them with Shakespeare's 'Tempest' and noting that it had been remade as a Science Fiction film as 'Forbidden Planet' which if anything made it even more tosh, but at least psychologically revealing tosh.

Her written exam required only three essays to back up the coursework; and she wrote about the psychology of the average muggle confronted by an anomaly caused by magic; got very technical about the significance of telecommunications; and discussed the disruptions caused by chizpurfles in computers and the explanation of quantum physics to cover the frequent unexplained equipment failures common to computers. Lilith was no more knowledgeable about quantum physics than any muggle taking 'A' levels but produced the brilliant suggestion that as quanta were unstable, the presence of chizpurfles actually caused quantum anomalies rather than being directly to blame for computer error.

Lilith was now done.

oOoOo

The Belle Marauders felt refreshed returning to do Potions; and Madam Hardbroom sighed ruefully and smiled good luck when they all kissed her affectionately. She had never broken them of calling her Great Aunt Connie; and indeed as the practice had spread to all the girls in Slytherin House – in house only – it was one of those things she must just gracefully accept.

And she would miss these five girls when they had left.

The prepared potions were passed over; and the students went individually into the truncated practical that tested knowledge of ingredients and how to prepare them.

The written covered Golapott in great detail and the candidates unravelled what a potion might be and what, if anything, was missing by observing printed Malfoy lines; a blended poison's lines were also printed and they had to suggest ingredients and a methodology in the brewing. Nobody had any serious difficulty.

oOoOo

Last was transfigurations; again the Belle Marauders were all involved, and Mafalda too, who had also been taking potions. The long essay required a discussion of why energy and matter might be considered to be fundamentally the same; and they were all on solid ground there, it being one of those things that they had debated for fun. Gamp's Law and its exceptions and Assimilative Correlation in its various forms covered the bulk of the remainder of the questions and Mimi, Drusillina and Mafalda were unduly arithmantic throughout. Mimi strayed into the realms of Muggle physics in her answers regarding the matter of matter, but otherwise the answers were not too far out of the realms of standard NEWT answers.

The practical followed standard lines though Bella had to be slightly scolded for producing a Bengal Tiger from her fiddle – even if it was only a cub – and had to be persuaded to change the creature's form. The kitten she produced was an astonishingly vivid marmalade cat with very dark markings. The rest of the Marauders stuck to ordinary cats except Mimi who produced an Egyptian Mau and explained that a cheetah was taxonomologically dubious as a cat. Mafalda made a handsome kneazle.

oOoOo

The NEWTs were now over; and though Assim Khan was staying long enough to encourage his OWL students, he and Bella were preparing to leave for India. The other Belle Marauders made much of Bella for the few days that they had her left to them.

oOoOo

OWLs covered the compulsory subjects first; Potions, Charms, Transfigurations, DADA. It had been decided to keep the choice of Herbology or Care of Beasts in alphabetical order with the rest.

Sextus was not exactly NERVOUS but he was excited with a sort of hollow feeling inside with it.

Lilith kissed him firmly and told him that he would be fine.

Sextus was almost more overcome by being firmly kissed than by taking five OWLs a year early. Lilith regarded him critically and said,

"I say, Sec, I haven't half made an impression on the dynamics of your robe…. I suggest you either teach something down there to speak Parseltongue or put it away."

"I'm TRYING!" Sextus flushed fierily. "It has a mind of its own…. I don't mean that exactly… I mean it likes you and I like you but you're a brat of tender years."

Lilith giggled.

"I'll grow up soon enough to like it well enough I expect; but I AM a little young for its attentions just yet. Shall we just christen it impatient and try to ignore it?"

"Yes" said Sextus tersely.

Growing up was a very embarrassing process!

oOoOo

The Potions practical called for the confusing and befuddlement draught and a suitable counter; and Sextus might be confused and befuddled by adult sort of feelings but in a potions dungeon brewing antidotes he was perfectly at home. He balanced the fwooper down with jobberknoll feathers and wrote notes on the subject, taking the fluffier down from the base of the feathers for a better balance. He mentioned assimilative correlation in the notes as well, and proceeded to concoct an antidote that was drawn from both wit sharpening potion and memory potion but which was clearly a different potion yet. The Pepperingye Marauders were working steadily too, though Isambard and Wanda struggled. They were sticking to the Wit Sharpening potion as a counter in dire hope. Charis made some attempt to combine the two as did Tobala; and Nathan, U-May and Jingjie were actually enjoying themselves. Walter Crabbe managed to write down the use of the feathers to balance the first potion and produced some kind of blend; and most of the class were glad to be released from the ordeal.

The written called for the citing of Golapott's first two laws and completing the description of the ingredients and methodology of a number of potions and the suggestion of antidotes to a couple of poisons. This was all fairly straightforward and even Isambard and Wanda declared that they might have passed after all.

oOoOo

Transfigurations started with the written exam, the long essay being on switching spells this year. Sextus was on solid ground here; and wrote steadily, finding the short questions easy enough, about simple conjuration, and cross species switches among other things. He absently wrote about Assimilative Correlation and would have been genuinely astonished to find that it was a NEWT level concept. The whole of the Stripy Marauders had been applying Assimilative Correlation in a number of ways since their first year. None of the Marauders had much trouble with the theory though some undoubtedly wrote more than others. Walter, U-may and Jingjie were the star transfigurationists; and when it came to the practical they had no troubles at all with any of the tasks set. Sextus had no troubles either, and marvelled that Wanda had issues and that her watch still had antennae and legs. To Sextus, turning a death watch beetle into a plain pocket watch was so easy! His own was, of course, a duplicate of Colonel Mortimer's watch in 'For a Few Dollars More' because it was cool; and the chased silver and addition of musical chimes added good marks.

oOoOo

Charms was the next compulsory exam; Sextus had not entered that. Professor Fraser had said he might take any five OWLs; and he had picked the ones that seemed easiest. The rest of the Marauders were fairly solid on charms, even U-may who reckoned it one of her weak subjects. This was to say, she was an 'E' average student.

There was an essay question on water affecting charms – most of the marauders strayed into NEWT level concepts – and a long question on locomotor charms. The practical had no surprises and though Wanda and U-may stilled their dancing teacups a little slower than the others, all stacked them neatly. Walter hoped he would make up some of the marks he had discovered he had lost for misreading a question in the written; and shaded his rat in a delicate use of colour charm to leave it almost black at the tail tip with a shading through the spectrum of blue to almost white at the nose. Isambard was feeling creative and his rat was in two shades of blue in a damask pattern. The examiner was, fortunately, moderately used to the creative urges of students by now and merely murmured that it was very decorative and not entirely in keeping with the usual mode according to rats.

Isambard grinned and declared that most rats weren't blue either.

They all voted it an 'all right' exam and went off to find chocolate while little Professor Flitwick pacified a nearly hysterical Samuel Carmichael who had been able to see what Isambard was up to and could not cope with such flippant use of colour charms.

oOoOo

The last totally compulsory class was DADA, which Sextus was also taking. No marauder, or even member of the MSHG would expect to get anything but an 'O' grade for the excellent grounding they had. Here the practical came first; and boggarts were banished with style, Patronuses demonstrated for extra marks and curses resisted all with finesse and aplomb.

The written too was standard; the definition of a dark creature, and details to be written about a given list of dark creatures. The question on recognising dangerous sigils was harder for those not versed in ancient runes, though Professor Lupin did cover sigils of harm and sigils of protection fairly thoroughly. Sextus, U-may and Jingjie were well away on this question and expanded on it considerably; and the rest of the marauders at least had picked up enough runes to almost be able to scrape a pass in that subject, had they entered, even those who had not studied it. They had no sympathy for others of the class who whined that it was hard to tell the sigils apart.

"And I'm not studying runes to this level yet either" said Walter in response to much self pity in the Slytherin common room "But y'know, when it's a case of 'this sigil kills you and this one can save you' it really is an incentive to learn to recognise which is which. It's not like we were tested on the sigils of protection necessary to raise demons, is it?"

"How to make friends and influence people" grinned Nathan "Studying to take runes at OWL next year old man?"

"I'll say" said Walter "The more one learns the more ignorant one discovers one is; and the more there is to learn."

oOoOo

Ancient Runes was the next exam; which was also Sextus along with U-may and Jingjie. The three long passages were in cuneiform – to a collective groan – Ancient Greek, and Latin. The basic languages Latin and Greek might be supposed to make up for cuneiform. However, translating the cuneiform lightened the mood when it turned out to be a couple of quotes from a Convolvumort speech. The Greek was a diatribe against the iniquities of Government – Sextus added a quite unnecessary aside that these old sages really knew their onions and had evidently used their oracle to good effect – and the Latin had all the students who read Asterix doubled up at the phrase 'you know me, Asterix – I'm not a misogynist and I'm not xenophobic but I don't like that foreign woman'. There were short questions too on the importance of various runes and logograms such as the eye of Horus to the Egyptians and the N-rune to the Norse and the Eihwaz rune to the Germanic peoples and a second part to that question about how Voldemort had slipped up in not studying ancient runes. All knew that his wand had been of Yew and so the Eihwaz rune, signifying yew and protection might have given him greater power had he adopted that rather than Morsmorde and wrote enthusiastically straying into the use of Eihwaz in merkstave.

oOoOo

Sextus and Walter were also taking Arithmancy as were all the Pepperingye Marauders who managed to approach the subject with a moderate degree of enthusiasm, even U-may and Charis, rather than with the grim determination of the Belle Marauders. The paper carried no surprises; the use of numerology and the punning names of several witches to suggest using different bases; the calculation of energy to open a given region of wizarding space, the calculation of several factorial numbers and the completion of various number sequences, which included the Wenlock series, prime numbers and so on. The worst question was a bit of waffling logic over which of two paths to take where two guardians stood there, one which only told lies and one which only told truth. This was Sextus' last exam so he was free to rejoin his fellows and make scornful comments at such exam students who were still hot and bothered; largely because it was fun and they could hardly comment since he and Lilith had also been taking exams.

oOoOo

Lucius Malfoy blew in to examine the chanters – which did not include Walter or Sextus this time but covered the Pepperingye Marauders and sundry others. It took most of the day, including time for Lucius to make notes between batches, to cover all of them in batches of four; and they would sit the written paper the day after. Meanwhile they might sleep secure in the knowledge that tree frogs were never likely to menace the great hall.

"Even giant miniature tree frogs" joked Charis.

"Giant…. Charis, mate, are you quite well?" asked Jingjie.

"Well it made sense somewhere in my fevered brain" said Charis.

"Giant miniature SPACE tree frogs!" suggested Nathan "She's Captain Bucky O'Hare…. We ARE the crew of the Righteous Indignation….let's croak us some toads!"

"Lucius should never let him watch muggle cartoon shows at Mr Dursley's house" said Wanda.

oOoOo

When they had taken their electives, Care of Domestic Beasts had been a compulsory subject so all the Pepperingeye Marauders were taking that, none of them having any taste to substitute Care of Beasts, however much they might like Hagrid. The written was fairly straightforward; the descriptions of various types of magical horses, dogs and other pets and a brief section on common ailments. The practical involved the removal of chizpurfles from an owl, paring the hooves of a flying horse and trimming its flight feathers – where trimming meant checking that they were at the right angle, not clipping them – and giving a pill to a kneazle. This posed no problems though none of them shone save Jingjie who shone in every class he took being, as Nathan said, a Chang, which was quite almost as bad as being a Snape.

oOoOo

All the Pepperingeye Marauders were also taking Comparative Magic as necessary to Marauding skills though only U-may and Jingjie were 'O' average students; the rest mostly weighed in at 'E' with occasional flashes of brilliance. The three essays from which the candidates had to pick one were 'Discuss the impact of the fey on magical tradition; show at least three cultures'; 'compare and contrast literal numerology with Finnish naming magic'; and 'discuss the importance of knots and knotwork with reference to Russian protective phylacteries and Celtic protective patterns."

Chanters to a man, all the Marauders plumped for writing about Finnish Naming Magic.

oOoOo

Walter and Tobala were alone amongst the Marauding group to take enchanting. The practical involved enchanting the candidate's choice of a musical instrument to play, a needle to sew or a pen to perform some appropriate action. Marks were given on complexity of the charm; the music was looked to be contrapuntal, the needle to perform complex embroidery and the pen to undertake some subtle task like write to dictation.

Walter had learned enough about music from Chrys Lockhart to feel fairly confident in adding a complex harmony that charmed any listener's fingernails to turn green when they listened to his harp; and Walter explained that the assimilative correlation of the use of fingernails normally on harp strings was what had suggested the idea.

U-May enchanted a needle to sew a nice even blanket stitch around minute mirrors that constituted some of the decoration on Indian costume. As she explained, it was a process that felt as though it required three hands without enchantment.

The written covered wand woods and broom woods and a question where they had to link a list of quills to the appropriate enchantments to prefer those specific feather types. It went well enough.

oOoOo

Geomancy was the province of Isambard and Wanda; and they drew in the principle ley lines of England, wrote a brief essay on unplottability and answered questions on the various common ways to travel. Being taken with their brooms to a location from which they had to find their way home by ley line travel they arrived back in good time, Wanda at a very fast speed indeed.

oOoOo

Only Jingjie of his fellows was taking Herbology. The practical involved the usual repotting of a fanged geranium and gathering bubotubers and pruning shrivelfig; standard fare. Jingjie had no trouble. The written required the listing of self-motile plants which again presented no problems for Jingjie who studied all things as potential enemies – or useful allies, animal or vegetable.

oOoOo

Jingjie was also alone of the Marauders in History. There was one long essay to be chosen from three and a paper of short answers. Jingjie chose to write about reasons behind the goblin rebellions and wrote with fair minded clarity.

oOoOo

The penultimate exam for some of them – and the last for many – was Metalwork. The exam had been revised from its first inception; now only one masterpiece was made during the year preceding the exam, but the entrants were required to perform a longer practical, not merely tempering a partially completed knife and setting a self sharpening charm on it, but demonstrating that they had understood the principles of the coefficient of magical expansion by making a simple expanding tool or key from prepared metal, and enchanting metal that was being forged to be ready for such a charm. They had all made masterpieces with more or less use for marauders; and Charis had insisted on making a bedknob to replace the one that had been confiscated by the ministry to impart the power of flight to any brass bedstead. Nathan made a metal peahen enchanted to attract peacocks to give his father a bit better chance of controlling them; U-may made pipes that would translate speech into Parseltongue; Jingjie made an origami folding machine; Tobala made a necklace that operated as a foe glass, save that it shouted when enemies were near; Wanda made a brooch of automatic hovering charm in case of falling; and Isambard made an ingenious grabbing hand based in idea on the devices marketed to disabled muggles, save that with the use of the coefficient of magical expansion his started off very small, could go round corners, and would pick up anything to command without any ineffectual wiggling of levers. It was a remarkably useful marauding tool. He had already had an offer to purchase the rights to manufacture it by the Weasley Twins.

The written exam required answering questions about the history of smithing, and on techniques like smelting, tempering and annealing and to draw up charts for the proper times to introduce enchantments in various common artefacts, and note the patterns of beating to tie in an enchantment when hammering the metal. They also drew the internal workings of a simple clock and wrote about the proper manufacture of springs

oOoOo

The last exam of all which included Walter, Nathan, Charis and sixth formers Damian and Ludmila, was the new quidditch exam. The practical involved nothing more nor less than demonstrating broom control because really knowing if a candidate could jink, U-turn, broomover and sideslip more or less covered most aspects of flying; and extra marks were awarded for style and panache. It was the least part of the exam which was really about knowing the game.

Most of the questions were on the rules, some of them on how to deal with sport injuries – as it was an initial exam for coaches this became important – and how to check brooms for illegal charms or jinxes. All felt that they had done fairly well.

And then the exams were over!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

There were two excitements left before the end of the year; though the cricket match against St Jodoc's was not as well attended as a quidditch match might have been. The visitors went, as usual, through a hastily installed gate directly to the corridor of the room of requirements where they slept for their two day visit; Sita Patil of Gryffindor was head of cricket and she organised the visitors quite ruthlessly. None of the muggle boys saw anything that muggles would be better not seeing and all of them would later tell their parents that the school in Scotland was so luxurious that you'd think the kids there were soft until you faced them at the wicket.

The visitors managed to win one and draw one owing to the unseasonal thunderstorm and heavy rain that drove the second elevens indoors. The weather showed no sign of letting up, so the Hogwarts second eleven challenged the St Jodoc's second eleven to a game of softball hurley indoors.

"And we might be glad" murmured Sita to Maud and Isabel "That some bright spark didn't suggest beach volleyball in New Zealand."

Maud grinned.

"Why do you think that even those of us who are duffers at cricket are hanging around to leap on the little darlings?" she said. "We may not have Bella's erratic brilliance but we do have our moments!"

"Just as well" said Sita. She and her sister had become closer to the Belle Marauders since they had decided to join the Khans in India to teach.

On the whole the two cricket teams of each school had a good time and the boys of St Jodoc's were despatched back to their coaches filled with the delicious after match feast that had been carefully enchanted not to lie heavily on their journey home.

There had, of course, been a temporary covering on the bog of very long lasting stench to allow the coaches to come to the front of the building; and everyone heaved a bit of a sigh of relief as the visitors departed and nobody had to act like a muggle any more.

oOoOo

The second excitement was a quiddpolo match to be played against Prince Peak.

Bella blew in for the match – just a brief visit, she declared, because she could not resist and because it gave her mother-in-law time to worry that she had driven her away because Princess Aruna was being unreasonable about wanting Bella to waste time sitting on a dais farting about with a second wedding – as Bella put it – because she wanted to do all the display thing.

"I called her vulgar and stormed out" said Bella cheerfully "And left Assim to tell her that I don't intend to conform to some outmoded gimcrack way of doing things. We are going to be teaching young witches that they are every bit equal to wizards and don't need to be subjected to such degrading spectacle. Assim knows how I feel about it."

"And he's quite well able to handle Aruna" said Mimi who had met Assim's mother. "Welcome back, Bellabuttons."

"Good to see you Mimiwobbles" said Bella.

They butted foreheads.

oOoOo

The team read a bit like a social magazine in terms of names on it, which Bella grimaced about; but until juniors had come up through the school learning to ride, only those who had prominent families were likely to have had much experience riding.

Penny Malfoy was Seeker – which was, as Bella said, a no-brainer since her brother had re-introduced the game; and had played seeker himself the previous year; and apart from Drusillina the rest of the team too had needed revision.

This was in a couple of cases at least the replacement of a team member by a younger sibling; Damian Malfoy, otherwise known as Faunus for his love of animals, replaced his brother Hadrian; and Faustina Bobbin, bubbling with excitement, replaced her brother Erasmus. Nobody had ever considered asking her older sister Narcissa.

Genevieve Harris had proved a surprisingly handy player, the only one whose name might be less likely to be found in a society magazine. With her new found maturity over the boyfriend issue it was apparent that she was a much more stable young girl than she had been, and if her brother Oliver was bemused that she preferred quiddpolo to quidditch he was at least glad that she was no longer making a fool of herself. Cassius Prince would be there to cheer for her, as Ludmila Yaxley, soubriquet Flora would be to cheer for her Faunus.

Paris Bullivant and Bryony Urquart made up the remainder of the team, like Gorbrin useful quidditch players as well but showing that they rose to the challenge of any game having also played cricket.

"No Huffers or Ravers?" Bella asked Drusillina.

Drusillina shrugged.

"Only the Corbins seem to have horsy leanings in Ravenclaw and we don't have any right now; and the Huffers are duffers with horses" she said "I think it's the Slytherin and Gryffindor willingness to embrace the new as much as anything else. If Slugworthy had an interest in animals that aren't slimy he'd have the right attitude, but y'know."

"Oh there are forward looking Huffers" said Bella "You malign them darling. It's just that most of the most forward looking ones are either tigers, which upsets the horses, or just don't like horses. Some people don't you know. I mean, my point of view is – which I LOVE to argue with Lucius – that if any Divine Being there might be had intended us to ride, He would never have invented Gottleib Daimler OR Brooms OR flying carpets."

oOoOo

Bella did her duty of welcoming the visitors and greeting the team.

"This here is our captain of quiddpolo, Drusillina Hallow" said Bella "One of the girls Auntie Connie stole from Prince Peak when it was Cackle's; she's a marauder natch."

"No surprises there" said the head of the Prince Peak team, George Ingate, a ward of Severus Snape. "Our Marauders on the team are Viridian D'Aubert and Johanna Schiff as I expect you already know. I'm captain; this is my team" and he introduced them "Marius Schreiber, our Seeker; Cerellia Malfoy, she's now step sister to Jocelyn Malfoy in Hogwarts; and last but not least, Sarah Elliot, plus Pru Buffer our reserve."

"One Malfoy and a spare Snape ward to balance two Malfoys for us" said Drusillina cheerfully. "Penny Malfoy here is our seeker and her cousin Damian succeeds his brother. Damian is known as Faunus and he deserves it; he wants to tame aggressive animals and his girlfriend, known as Flora, wants to tame aggressive plants and I wish she'd start with the ones she owns in our common room."

"Put a sock in it Lina" said Damian lazily.

"You're a Gryff; you don't have to avoid the mating habits of spinynastius attackyoulotsicus or whatever the monster is called" said Drusillina calmly. "She's a cousin of your Malfoy, being a Yaxley with Malfoy complications and she doesn't fly; we don't trust her not to start growing experimental plants in the horse's mane."

"Oy" said the pretty blonde girl.

"Get ON with it Lina!" said Bella.

"Right… the others are mostly harmless" she said as she introduced them and added, "A bit of a cross-age mish-mash; I'm the only one left of our last year team because they have all left us for higher things" she said in a sepulchral voice.

"Three of them to train as aurors if I recall correctly; exalted persons" said George. "No reserve?"

"The rest of the least worst draw straws if one of us drops dead" said Drusillina "Or we let Lilith Snape off the leash and wonder what mayhem she can cause on a horse. She's a great keeper on a broom but what a flying horse would think of circus antics I don't know."

"Lumme yes; broomsurfing is one thing but horse surfing? The mind boggles!" said George.

The visitors were installed in the school to settle in, rest and take refreshment.

oOoOo

"You're keeping a close eye on one of your team – the Harris girl" Johanna remarked to Drusillina, presuming on the relationship as a fellow marauder.

"Yes; it's a bit prophylactic" said Drusillina "She's been a little dippy in her youth; inclined to show off and encourage boys to chase her. She seems to have settled down and she IS in the fifth now but I'm just a little concerned that posturing on a horse might go to her head. She looks good on horseback and it doesn't take even as few brains as she has to realise it. Pass the word to your chaps not to be impressed by her beauty would you? We're trying to break her of being too fond of her effect on males because she isn't a ruddy veela and doesn't know how to handle it."

"Will do" said Johanna; and proceeded to be blunt to Marius, Viridian and George.

As it happened, Genevieve was far too much aware of the trouble that could be caused to actually posture; she had appreciated being noticed but was a wiser girl and was happy to keep boys at a distance, save for Cassius with whom she was starting to forge a very good friendship.

oOoOo

The visitors joined Hogwarts for lessons for the rest of the day, which mostly involved quizzes and games as the term wound down, as well as the issuing of holiday assignments. The Prince Peak crew were certainly well grounded in all their lessons and Lilith remarked to Sextus that their bunch should look to their laurels!

Jocelyn was proud to have his new sister visiting and introduced her about. He was less happy that she struck up a friendship with Bibaculus Wilkes, once one of Genevieve's admirers, but relaxed when Cerellia confided in him that the ass was a posturing fool and any interest in poetry that drew them together was too egocentric on his part to be attractive.

The game however was soon on, on the following day; and it was quickly apparent that the Prince Peak team were more used to playing as a team and that Hogwarts had a bit of a scratch team. It was a friendly however, and not to be taken too seriously; but when Penny Malfoy caught the snitch and manfully defended it from Marius' tackle by dropping and recatching her lacrosse net it was only for pride, because the visitors had outscored the hosts by more than fifteen goals and the catching of the snitch could only deny a more disparate score.

The players all shook hands.

"When you've had a bit more chance to practice together you should be fairly formidable" said George Ingate "We lose a couple this year; how about you?"

"Only me" said Drusillina. "Yes, they could be a decent team next year; and the match has been good for us to show us our weaknesses. Played, everyone; both teams. When you've seen to your mounts we should have a decent spread laid on."

It was.

Nobody could beat a Hogwarts feast; and the elves were on their mettle to show off to Severus Snape that his castle elves were not as good as the ones he had left behind to found his own school. The Hogwarts pupils appreciated their efforts too!

"Enjoying being head, David?" Severus asked as he joined the Hogwarts Headmaster at the staff table.

"Very much, Severus" said David.

"And are YOU enjoying being head with all the alarums in Europe, Severus?" asked Minerva.

"Very much" said Severus "Keeps us on our toes. Besides I have the opportunity to be snidely contemptuous at them."

Minerva laughed.

"HOW like you, Severus!" she said.

The body of the school was more concerned about a convivial feast than about European politics; though Mafalda Prewett did find the time to ask a few questions of the grim-visaged headmaster as she hoped to study under him the following year. She had already been helping with what the Marauders were calling the 'greatest jape of the century' concerning one supremacist; and to learn that there were others in Russia as well was a daunting thought. Mafalda however had been grateful for the support of Marauders through her school life; and promised herself that she would not stand back if Professor Snape needed an extra wand at his disposal.

And then the visitors were gone; and the school was full of excited children ready for the long summer holidays, getting ready to leave, and – in the case of some of them – charging about looking for missing clothes and equipment. Argus Filch held one last day of viewing of lost property to pay fines on, and then sold off anything that remained. All the fines and profits went to the Society for the Promotion of Education for Squibs; and he had an enthusiastic helper in Damian Malfoy whose father was investigating rituals to enhance the damaged genes on squibs to give them a chance to use magic.

oOoOo

The final day came; and the shields were to be distributed.

"Well Ravenclaw has taken the Quidditch shield" David announced "And the House Shield has been won – by a nose – by Slytherin for working well together. The points however have been so close overall that I have had three extra small shields made because the rest of you did so well it really needs to be honoured" he grinned as the pupils raised the roof with a resounding cheer. He went on when silence resumed, "And I have decided to give the Marauders Shield this year to the Society Against Slavery and the Lifemunchers jointly, both of which gangs have worked tirelessly to promote interhouse co-operation; not with any flamboyance or fanfare but just by example. I've enchanted a shield which projects so many names when touched" he added "Kevin, Tarquin, would you like to represent your two groups to collect it?"

Kevin Slugworthy and Tarquin Prince proudly came to receive the shield.

It was nice that the Head had noticed what had been, really, very understated efforts through the members they had in every house.

"And Slytherin very nearly dropped to equal with the other houses in points for squabbling amongst your Lifemunchers over who was to collect the shield" said Constance Hardbroom coldly. "Really Bryony!"

Bryony Nuffield flushed; she had felt that Salazar should have been the one to collect the shield.

Salazar wiggled his ears at her, an accomplishment he had been working on for the whole of the last term, and gave her an affectionate grin. He also patted Tarquin on the back when he returned to the table. It did not matter who collected it; and Salazar knew that though he and Tarquin led more or less jointly it was a matter of politics that Slytherin's heir should NOT be one to collect such. There would always be whispers from the jealous that would mar the feast and end of term!

And then the feast was brought in and David adjured the school to eat up and enjoy and not to forget to get their holiday tasks finished as soon as possible.

And then the term was over and everyone was streaming off to the station, or to private transport and another year was over!

And next year would be Triwizard year.

David hoped he would have a restful holiday; he deserved one and he needed it!

3


End file.
